First, before I share my story, I want to thank Joe and Ashley for all of their dedication and support to this church. You guys have loved us all well and we are very grateful for you and your family. We love you guys very much.
If you would have asked me six years ago if I had a church “home,” I would have said no. We had a place we went to church, but I wouldn’t call it a second home. Janssen and I had recently been married in January of that year, 2017 to be exact, and we were looking for another church to attend. Matt Sanders invited us here and there to try out The Exchange and so we finally did. I remember leaving thinking that the sermon wasn’t like anything I had ever heard before. You don’t just hear Pastors talk about their struggles openly, at least not at any of the churches I had ever been to. And you certainly don’t hear about church members sharing a beer together. I thought “hmmm.. maybe I could get used to this.”
So, we started coming Easter Sunday of 2017 and never left. Little did I realize on that day, that the Holy Spirit would teach me more in six years through a small group in Clio, Michigan than what I had learned in my twenty six years of attending church. I could go on and on about how much this place means to me, but I’ll stick with the three main things that God has taught me so that we aren’t here all day.
1). Family is not biological. Love and support is not determined by how much you do or don’t do. Your worth is not in what you have or don’t have, and it’s certainly not found in your own capabilities. I don’t think I ever have felt true acceptance as a child and young adult and, quite frankly, I’ve lived my whole life thinking people didn’t actually like me, that they were just tolerating me. I still struggle with that from time to time, but I can honestly say that there have been more times where I have felt valued and cared for here than not. God has shown his love to my family through all of you, and i thank you for that. Thank you for being gracious and kind, hospitable & caring, helping me to want to be more like Christ Himself, and accepting me for who I am as a person and not who I mold myself into. And, most importantly, thank you for reminding me that I have a Heavenly Father who welcomes me with open arms, loves me as I am, and died so that I may have eternal life with Him.
2. The second thing I have learned is that God will call you back to Him. I actually want to read my Bible now because of the work God has done here. It has helped me grow spiritually. I want to participate in Bible studies and be closer to Christ. I have listened to every single one of Joe’s sermons since Lilli has been born, even if I wasn’t at church, because it’s something I have wanted to do and felt God calling me to do. This is not a “look at me statement,” but just me realizing that God is at work, and being grateful for that. Having a child has opened my eyes to more of my sin and utter dependence on Christ. Every time I want to shut down and say “no, I’m too busy,” or “no, I don’t have time,” He has gently called me back to Him over and over again; showing me through His word exactly what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. Joe’s sermons have just been one of the many ways God has called me back to Him here.
3. God is sovereign. God is in control. I am not, even though I wish to be at times. I feel like these past three weeks have been a big blur, a big blob. A ton of emotions to process. I don’t know why this is happening, but, quite frankly, it’s not my job to figure it out. He knows why, and I trust Him. A wise person and friend recently said, “just think about where you will be next year.. being vulnerable and sharing the gospel because it’s second nature to you.” I felt that deeply and had great joy and hope hearing those words.
Writing and sharing how God has used this church in my life has encouraged me tremendously & I hope you all have found some encouragement in my story too. Thank you.