I’m glad I stayed.

I spent my whole life going to church. Sunday mornings, Wednesday night youth group, and camps during the summer. I experienced a lot of formative moments that changed my life and I’ll never regret it. Like any family, there’s always going to be moments where you walk away disappointed or experience pain.

No church is perfect.

And then something wildly unexpected happened.

After college, I came back.

And then, I stayed.

I’m not special, that was still a complex process for me to journey through. People I may have judged before or vowed to never befriend in years past…became my covenant community.

I know not everyone is called to come back to their home church, but I do see there has been an exodus away from church entirely in my generation.

I’m not here to convince you your experience doesn’t warrant that reaction; I’m here to say that I get it.

I’m here to say, I get it and I stayed even when I didn’t understand why I was staying.

On my 30th Birthday, as my community laid their hands on me, prayed for me, and prophesied over my life I wept at the beautiful full circle moment it was for me. I wept over His keeping power, and the ability to write such a beautiful story.

Maybe you’ve been too hurt to “stay”, maybe you love God but can’t wrap your mind around actually being around His people again. Maybe you’ve even left God entirely, and can’t see through the pain and hurt that seems to choke out any clarity you had about faith. I get it, and I would love to sit and process that with you. Feel free to DM me if you want to talk.

I feel such a call to contend for this heavenly homecoming, where those far off would come back home. Just know, that even if we don’t chat, I’m continually praying for you.

His pursuit is palpable, and I feel it for you.  Just know that He’s waiting to see you round that corner and start toward home. The second He catches a glimpse of you; He won’t think twice about breaking into a run just to come hug you and welcome you in, no matter how long you’ve been gone.

From a long distance away, his father saw him coming, dressed as a beggar, and great compassion swelled up in his heart for his son who was returning home. The father raced out to meet him, swept him up in his arms, hugged him dearly, and kissed him over and over with tender love.( Luke 15:20)