 I didn’t always go to church. In fact, I wasn’t born into the church like my husband and my children were. My parents actually joined a church when I was 8 years old. Another fun fact, the reason why we joined a church was because my dad loves to play baseball and in order to play in the Christian league he had to be a member of a church. So maybe I should say thanks to baseball, I have a relationship with God! Hey! Everyone has their own story on how they came to the church! It wasn’t a choice for me on whether I attended church or not because if my parents were going somewhere, we went too. We attended every church meeting, prayer service, bible class and church outing. At 8 years old I didn’t know why we went, all I knew is that I got to see my best friend, Melanie, every week. I’ve mentioned before how my parents were really strict while I was growing up, we weren’t allowed to do or speak about anything that didn’t have to do with God. Everything we did wrong we were taught that God was going to punish us. So if I lied God was not pleased with me, if I danced God was going to chop my legs off, if I cursed I was going to hell. Needless to say I was terrified to do anything wrong. From the moment I joined at 8 years old, Church became my life, and it still is. That doesn’t mean I always wanted to physically go to church. As a full-time working mom of 3, who wouldn’t want to sleep in on Sundays? I don’t know why, but Sunday seems like the hardest day to get up and get out of the house. I used to have to drag myself out of bed on Sundays for church. So many people would tell me that I had V.I.P wings to heaven because I was literally always at church! Through my growing relationship with God; I’ve realized that I am free from sin since Christ died for me. I learned that God loves me even when I’m wrong. In retrospect, I’ve realized that my journey in God has been one that is redeeming and liberating. I love church, not because of religion but because of the relationship that I have with God through Christ Jesus! To me church is not just another box I check off for the week anymore. I can’t sit up and watch a service online. I need to physically be there because I feel a sense of belonging, a sense of comfort and freedom. For that one hour I am at peace, I am happy; I am surrounded by a community of like-minded people that strive every day to be the best version of themselves in God. I don’t know why you go to church but I go because... Going to church gives me the weekly encouragement I need while living in this world full of negativity. Going to church allows me to spend time with my family and expose them to new things. Whether we are helping the community or setting up for service, we do it all together. It’s where relationships are established and communities are built. I found one of my best friends at church. Melanie and I have remained friends since the moment we met. To this day even though we do not attend the same church I can always receive a word of encouragement from her. Going to church gives me a sense of belonging and purpose. I feel like I am a part of an awesome community that I can count on. When I’m sick, they check in on me. And when one of us is not there, they worry. The church is my extended family that makes me feel loved and cared for. Going to church allows me to learn how to connect with God and grow my faith so when I don’t know what else to do, I can turn it over to him without worry. I learned that it’s a constant journey, but if I can go to school and feed my mind, I can go to church and feed my spirit. No church is perfect because the church is made up of imperfect people. If you are looking for a church home find one that teaches you the Bible, how to apply it in your life, and one that makes you feel like you are HOME.
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