I have been thinking so much lately about when and why i started going to Woodside Detroit. I had gone a few years before while i was church shopping lol which is such a funny thing to me. After spending 8 years at a church that had pastor who had been emotionally and verbally abusive towards me and 2 years at a small church (which was great but i served a lot and i was TIRED) i had pretty much had it with church even though i believed in the Church my heart was wore out and tired.
I chose Woodside because i had been listening to the sermons online (the sermons where full of The Word and it was alive!), had friends who went there, and knew it was just big enough that i wouldn't get noticed but small enough to be friendly.
As i found my seat i swore that this was a place i was not going to serve, i was going to sit and just be fed. My soul was a dried up sponge and i wasn't going to be used again.
Except for one thing.
The Pastor had the heartbeat of Jesus.
💩 "my plan" was going to be ruined
So after two weeks i slowly started to come alive again. My heart began to heal. Still skidish from being hurt by the church i started to serve. Soon i was serving back in youth ministry and laughingly i say i got suckered into kids ministry 😂😂but really I LOVE it!! And i cry after Family Dinners because my heart is so full i just can't help it.
It's been like 4.5 years and I serve on Sundays and see my littles and as they pick out their snack for snack time, i label the water bottles, open the fruit snacks (a few of the littles come early with their parents and know i have stash of fruit snacks), i serve with friends who have become family, i still can't believe it. I still laugh when i said i would never serve again, thats not even in my DNA 😂.
As our church is in transition, part of my wanted to just leave, not because of anything anyone did but because i HATE change, but there is something I've seen in this "new beginning" that I've never had my own heart open enough to hear, change is hard for everyone, but if we are at a place (or with someone) that has the heartbeat of Jesus it's a transition to the next step not torture. It's hard, it definitely is character building, but it can be good and difficult.
I'd be lying if i said this new beginning isn't difficult but I'm learning and growing. And that is good, and what is better is that I'm clinging to God and staying close to my church family instead of pulling away. I'm thankful for the lessons and healing from this new beginning ❤️
Comments