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| My search for God started where most people look: church. When I married my second husband, we were married in the Catholic Church my husband attended and went to church every Sunday. Before my marriage, I hadn’t attended church in about 15 years. We had a son and raised him in this church also. But I was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the Catholic religion. One Sunday, the priest gave a sermon on the nature of vices. He mentioned drinking, smoking, and gambling. At the end of the service during the announcements, he said, “The bus going to Atlantic City (Casino) is leaving after the 12 o’clock Mass”. That was it! That’s what I was waiting for! An excuse to leave the church without blaming myself. I was still attending AA meetings and at the time felt that hearing about God and practicing the twelve steps in my life was all the “God” I needed until I could find a church where I would be comfortable. But because I was taught and believed, at that time, that going to a church other than a Roman Catholic church was a sin, I struggled with that decision. LAKEVIEW HEIGHTS REFORMED CHURCH One day I decided I needed to go to some church somewhere. There was a Protestant church a couple of blocks from my house and one Sunday morning while my family attended Mass, I decided to join their service. I remember walking up the steps and looking all around to ensure that no one I knew saw me entering the church. It didn’t take long, though, to realize I belonged there. Lakeview Heights Reformed Church was to become my church home despite the problems that the decision brought to my marriage. At Lakeview Heights, I was reminded of the forgiving and loving God Isabel had told me about. And for the first time in my life, I learned that I could have a relationship with Jesus. I became very active in that church and eventually became a deacon. I visited patients in hospitals and eventually became active in hospice volunteer work. Eventually, though, the church closed due to declining membership. CROSSROADS FREE METHODIST CHURCH I don’t remember how I came to be at Crossroads though I’m sure it was God who somehow directed me there. It was at Crossroads that I went to my first Bible Study. Lakeview Heights was a very small church and although we were encouraged to read the Bible, there was no formal Bible Study offered. At Crossroads, we had Adult Sunday School before the service and Bible Study during the week. There were prayer meetings every Wednesday morning. As the church continued to grow, Bible studies were also offered in some of the members' homes including my own --as host, not leader-- because I was very shy due to a hearing problem I was born with, and I mostly just “listened” as best as I could. (My hearing issue would become even worse as the years went by due to age-related hearing loss as well). I also became the Church Treasurer. Every year Crossroads had both men's and women's retreats. It was on my first retreat that I came to really know the women at church. They became like sisters to me. We encouraged each other, prayed with and for each other, and became very close. I was beginning to learn what healthy relationships looked like. As Crossroads grew, the need for a larger worship space increased. The new location brought even more people into the church. It was multi-cultural and as we grew together, so did the respect for each other's cultures. It was amazing to see God working in so many people's lives. COASTAL COMMUNITY CHURCH In May 2002, my husband passed away and I decided to move to Maine to be closer to my sister and my son. Before I moved, I went to a Women of Faith Conference in Boston with the women from Crossroads Church. Seated in the row in front of us were women from Coastal Community Church. As that was in the town I was moving to, I asked about their church. They gave me their names and contact information. Once again, God was moving in my life. I was grateful to have a church home I didn’t have to search for. It gave me a feeling of belonging even before I moved to Maine. But I missed the fellowship at Crossroads Church. I missed the growth I was starting to see in my faith and wondered if it would carry over to my new environment. I didn’t know yet that it wasn’t the church that brought me closer to God; it was a decision to follow the Lord. CORNERSTONE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH With the help of Pastor Gil Lee and the caring congregation at Cornerstone, I finally found the church I belong to. As I sit here trying to find words to describe the feeling of belonging after many years, I realize how fortunate I am...and how wonderful God is. Sometimes, I think that in God’s timing, the stage needs to be set first. I can now understand how and why I got to this point in my spiritual journey. As a new Christian and spiritual infant at Lakeview Heights, I learned about the love of my Heavenly Father and at Crossroads I learned about giving love as well as receiving it. However, my journey on the way to Cornerstone was a difficult one...filled with confusion about where I belonged. Until I understood and obeyed the direction of the Holy Spirit, I might have kept searching and never found the love, companionship, and Christian example that is present at Cornerstone. This is where spiritual maturity begins. “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:7 |
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