My Freedom Family

There are many storms that we face in life, and unfortunately - as much as we want to predict what is going to happen... we can't. We don't really know what is going to happen one minute from now - much less one hour, one day, one month, or one year from now.  One year ago today, we visited (our now church home) Freedom Church for the first time.  My family had been struggling and looking for a new church home for a while. When you have grown up in the same church your whole life - it is hard to make a change...even when you know that is not where God is telling you to be. After being in class with Pastor T and Kevin, I knew I would be visiting their church. From the moment we walked in, we first sat down, and the music started –  I knew we were where we needed to be.  We had found our new church home! Our first week was the beginning of the series on doubt – for me, it completely hit home.  Over the 3 weeks of that series, I began to pray like no other and really focus on getting my life and relationship right with Christ  - the way I knew it should be.  Little did I know at that time, that He was preparing me for the events to come.

On September 17, 2016 – we had a life changing event.  I woke up at 12:48 am on September 17 to my doorbell and phone ringing.  When I got up to see what was going on – I was not prepared for what I found.  D (who was living with me at the time) had attempted to take her life, and I found her in my den… laying on my couch.  In the hours and days to follow,  I didn’t know what to do except to pray. I prayed, prayed and then prayed some more.  We got her stable and out of CCU, and moved her to  stabilization unit in Cookeville.   On Saturday, when I went to visit her I took her a Bible - my mom and I had marked some scripture that had helped us through tough times. I told her that God had a greater plan for her and that she was still here for a reason. I didn’t know what it was and neither did she, but encouraged her to pray and read the Bible and see what scripture God led her to.  Although, D had gone to church from time to time – she never had that real relationship with God.

That next Sunday was the first of the Inside Out Series… JOY.  I sat down in church that morning, completely broken – and Pastor T  gave me hope.  For the next 3 weeks, each Sunday morning – I knew God was speaking directly to me through him.    The next Sunday, I got up and 2 of my kids were sick and one had been in an ATV accident Friday, and everything in me wanted to go back to bed.  I walked downstairs, woke D up, and said – let’s get moving, church is calling.  She looked at me and groaned, got up and said okay.  And… we were off.  I cannot explain to you the feeling in me when Pastor T started preaching. God used him to give my sweet girl the EXACT message she needed to hear!  She has been struggling and hurting for so long.  Pastor T was  an answer to prayer!! Over the next 30 days, we had ups and downs, and continue to have them on a daily basis.  I can truly look back now (almost a year later) at the 911 call, the ER staff,  the days and nights in CCU, and the days since we have been home and I can see God’s hand in every detail, even in the worst of situations.

​I say all of this now, as we finished up a series call "Puzzled" this morning. Last week Pastor T said, "you may not be able to see it, but God has his hands on you." This is so very true, but it is so hard to see sometime.  So, when we are all worrying about the doubts of today, we must trust in God's tomorrow.   The past 2 weeks have been a great reminder for me of everything we have overcome in the past 11 months, and everything we will still need to overcome.  As we were reminded this morning, "faith never makes things easy, faith makes things possible."

​There are so many things I am grateful for where my church is concerned. I am forever grateful, for God putting Pastor T and Kevin in class with me, at just the right time!  I am grateful for having a church family and staff who truly care. I am forever grateful for Chad and him continually inviting K to The Edge on Wednesday nights - and not giving up. There are words to express just how grateful I am and how much love I have for my church family!