The “Moment”

There are several moments that I have caught myself, when thinking or talking about them, saying that was “the moment” that changed my life.  But ~ the truth is there have been many moments.  Many moments that have defined me.  Many moments that have changed me.  Gotten me to today.  This point in my life that I am trying to figure out exactly what direction my life is taking while knowing that I am called to serve a greater purpose in my life for Him.  I do know without a doubt that sharing my story and being involved in ladies ministry is definitely a part of that plan.  Just in the months that I have been leading a ladies life group in my church, I have come to see a tremendous need.  There are so many ladies hurting.  Hurting because of past and present circumstances in their lives that have them stuck.  Stuck in a place that they do not like.  I have found that just by stepping out, sharing, opening up myself and giving them a place to go makes a difference in the lives of others and has given me the desire to do something bigger.  To see that transformation is incredible.

So this blog will tell my story.  The story of how I got to this place and the journey of where I am going.  If I could look back at the one thing that I do feel started this journey of the change in myself and this passion that I have was one day a very good friend asked me to join a bible study that she was going to hold at her house.  Now I had grown up “going to church”.  It was a routine.  Sunday School, church on Sunday, dinner after church, church on Sunday night, church on Wednesday night, youth group, youth events and occasional praying….when I was in need.  I was not in a place that I could not wait for the doors to be open, that I could not miss a Sunday, that I prayed continually, that I had a desire to serve, to impact the lives of others and a place that I relied on God ~ no matter what the circumstance.  When I started going to that bible study, which was not long before I finally planted myself at the church where I knew that I belonged(First Christian Church of Wauchula!), I realized that I was missing something in my life….a relationship with godly people in my life and more importantly a relationship with Jesus Christ.  I had been filling my life with everything but him and trying to please everyone but him.

The study we did was called “Becoming More Than a Bible Study Girl”.  That study was a few things for me.  First, along with some other things that were happening in my life, it was a clear sign that I needed a change in my life.  Second, it was my first introduction to Lysa TerKeurst, an amazing author that I have come to love.  I love her honesty.  Honesty about the fact that she, as Godly of a woman that she is…is not perfect.  That she has struggles.  She makes mistakes.  She has “Unglued” moments.  But she has made a choice.  A choice that she will not let her imperfections overcome her.  She will not label herself.  She chooses each and every day to get up and continue her path of imperfect progress growing closer to Jesus with every step.  It also opened my eyes that I was not reading and studying the word of God.  I was missing that intimacy of opening my Bible and reading it and then applying it to my life.  I have now found that for every thing that you go through in  your life, there is something in that book that will guide you and give you peace if you let it!  Finally ~ one major thing(not that the others were not major) that was really revealed to me during that study almost 3 years ago and that is really on my heart now, was that two of these ladies in the study, had a friendship.  A friendship that I wanted.  They talked about God.  They asked each other for prayer.  They prayed together.  That kind of friendship, once you experience it, is better than any other kind of friendship!  Now, I will admit is was a bit awkward at first.  Like I said, I had gone to church and had some spiritual moments and Christian friends in the past, but really, we did not talk about God.  We did not pray together and we surely did not base our friendship and lives around God.  As I grew in my faith, I craved those friendships with ladies that shared my faith and also those that I could share my faith with.  It became easier and easier to center my relationships around God.

I will spend time in the coming months sharing more about my story along with my journey of how I got to the other side of being that controlling, angry, depressed and just broken person.  But for now ~ I will skip forward to today.  To a day that I am to the other side.  I am saved every day by his grace, his ocean of grace.  I am covered by his blood.  I am the Daughter of the King ~ the most High King!  I am so very thankful for that grace.  I am thankful for each of those trials(James 1:2-3).  Because each of those trials, and there were and are many, have made me the person that I am today.  They have given me the story to share with others to show them that you can be in that dark place and get to the other side!  You can restore a marriage.  You can mend a friendship.  You can overcome an addiction.  You can do the right thing in difficult situations and stand up for what is right. Philippians 4:13 says, I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.  That is all things, not some things!  It is a huge blessing for me now to share with people.  To see that sharing and teaching make an impact on people and in their lives is indescribable.  In my next post I will tell you all about an amazing community wide study and event we are doing from the teachings of Jennifer Beckham in a study called “Get Over Yourself“, right here in Hardee County!

Just a couple of things to wrap up my first post on my blog.  If you do not have a church that you attend, find one!  That is the place that you can learn about this peace and joy that you can have.  Remember though, that it is not about the “religion”, the pastor, the people, the ministries they offer or the walls of the building(because all of those things are not perfect and can fail you).  While those things are great, ultimately, it is about the relationship.  The relationship that you develop with your heavenly father.  If you don’t have that intimacy with him, you are missing out!  In his video “Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus“, Jefferson Bethke says that the Church is not a Museum for Good People, it’s a Hospital for the Broken.  Some churches and people don’t get it right, but many do!  Find one that gets it right and feeds the word of God into you.  Finally ~ if you have not asked Jesus into your heart and asked for forgiveness of your sins and been baptized into his family, it is time!  It’s time to take that step to change your life.  Maybe you just need a renewal of that faith that you once had.  There is a church that will accept you and love you.  There is a God that accepts you and loves you.  Find that church and accept that grace that Jesus died to give you.

God Bless!   Erica