2023 has been a fantastic year. Chris and I got married, I turned 40, I’ve hit some great PRs in the gym, we got a new puppy, and we bought a new home! But another super meaningful thing we did this year was discover our church home.
It’s a fun story about how sometimes a moment of frustration leads to a bend in the road that leads you somewhere that feels like home.
Last fall we had originally started attending a church that Chris’s parents had been attending for some years. It had a good band and it was nice to be able to attend as a family. We didn’t feel an immediate deep connection however we were preparing to commit.
However, the first Sunday we attended after we got married, his ex-wife showed up and sat very nearby to me. It was uncomfortable and weird. After service we discussed and Chris said he wasn’t interested in having a turf war at a church, especially at a church that mattered to his parents.
Meanwhile, I’d already investigated a church very close to where we lived. I’d done some reading on their site and we did a little “creeping” on their YouTube, and I felt somehow led to this little church. The following Sunday we attended and from the first service we felt like we’d found home.
The year has passed and we’ve found we have only missed 2 Sundays and we regretted that we had to miss. Chris has gotten baptized here, we’ve become members and gotten plugged into a small group. We feel loved, supported and like we are with family.
And to think, it was one frustrating and uncomfortable moment that pointed us to this. I’m so grateful for the discomfort. For the change of direction and where it has led. I feel like finding this church home has been the best possible start to our new marriage, as we grow together, and grow in our walk with Jesus.
Anna Farley 