Matthew 4:19-And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Everyone has their own beginning when it comes to the building a relationship with Jesus and their Christian walk in Faith. None are the same or at least I have found, there are lot of similarities in how people came to Christ among followers. But none are truly the same. No matter who you are, what your background is or was, no matter the person you have been matters. Your journey walking hand in hand with Our Lord and Savior is now beginning, no matter your age, no matter gender, no matter your wealth status, or educational background. He loves us all the same.

The Christian Life is not an easy path to follow. You may have to change your whole lifestyle to live a good Christian life. But that is not a bad thing, or end all. Doesn’t mean you have to change the core of who you are as a person. You may have listened to a preacher from a Church and thought, “That is a load of manure. There is no way this person believes anything that is flying out their mouth.” Trust me, been there done that. I do not claim to be the perfect example of a Christian. But I do put a good amount of effort in to being a Christian period. Notice I didn’t say a “Good Christian”. I have not achieved that yet in my opinion. I would call myself a work in progress still.

You may find yourself standing outside of Church thinking, “I am an addict…”, “I am not a good person…”, “I am a criminal…”. Brother or Sister, if that is you…Walk on through those doors, God has been and still waiting for YOU. To embrace you. To LOVE YOU! I have been there staring at the doors and wondering if I truly believed the words in the Bible…the words being spoke by the preacher. I had my own battle with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I was an alcoholic, an ill tempered one at times. Wasn’t until my kids looked at me with disgust in their eyes and said, “I wish you wouldn’t drink Dad.” That was a slap in the face to me, it may take some thing else for you but for me that was it. I knew at the moment I needed to change something.

Now I have been no absolute stranger to Church, growing up I went from time to time with my mother. I did the Sunday School thing, I went through the motions never really understanding a purpose or the true meaning behind any of it. That all stopped when I became a teenager until the year 2012, when my kids of all people said something. I looked at the current wife at that time (yes…I will cover the marriage piece later on), “It is time to find a Church…time for a change.” She agreed and we began a search for a Church home. It didn’t take long to find one, I drove by a Church everyday for work.

It was a large Church, little intimidating to be honest wasn’t looking for a large crowd to begin my journey of changing things in my life. But the size of the Church in my mind meant that they must be doing something right to afford the size of it. So that Sunday, I loaded the family up, drove to the Church and found myself standing outside looking up at the large building wondering what I was doing. The crowd of people funneling in I thought we will just blend in, go in listen to word and roll out unnoticed. No harm no foul all is good. But it didn’t quiet work out that way. Not at all.

I took a deep breath and began my walk to the front door. From the left side of me was a hand stretching toward me. Not wanting to be rude a paused, turning my attention towards the person extending the hand. There was a tall man, silver hair and a smile that was infectious as the COVID virus itself. I shook his hand and before I knew it, he pulled me to him with a hug to follow it. “Good morning brother!” He introduced himself, which I will refrain from using his name cause I haven’t discussed the use of his name with him yet. “Welcome Home!” he continued. I made it through the introductions, follow by some small chit chat before we continued to enter the building. Person after person shook my hand one person even noticed we were new there and offered to take us around the Church to give us the lay of the land. I was overwhelmed at first but realized this was actual genuine kindness these people were showing and everyone had the same kind of bounce to them. If you were new there, you could quick pick them out.

We finally made to the main sanctuary of the Church and man it was bigger than I had even imagined. The biggest Church I had ever been in. The services began and the singing and worship was something that I had never experienced and then the Pastor stepped to the Podium. The man that extended the handshake and hug in front of the Church now stood front and center. “Whether your watching at home or first time here. What would we like to tell them Church?” With one loud chant from everyone in attendance in sync, “WELCOME HOME!” I am tearing up writing that part because at that very moment in August of 2012, spiritually I was HOME.

When God shows up, he will let you know. It is a feeling that is very hard to describe but when it happens you don’t have to question it, you know it and want more of it. That Church became my Church home, now I am living in a different area a distance far enough not to attend the church but I still watch as often as possible Online. I have started attending another Church here locally after a long absence from attending Church. I am getting more involved with it and doing my best to serve as much as possible. I am getting my feet back up under me as far my spiritual healing goes but this blog is another step in me finding my spiritual strength in hopes I can provide some inspiration for others along the way. So if you have found yourself standing outside the doors of the Church thinking that is not the place for you but you have a feeling or a tug to go inside. Do yourself a favor…walk through the doors and find out what God has in store for you. He has healed the sick, the afflicted, made a blind man see. One of his great followers was a murder of Christians named Saul, who became known as Paul the Apostle. I will leave you for now with one last thing that I carry with me. The Pastor that hugged me that day was asked while he was greeting the members as they entered, “That man over there Pastor, he attends this Church? That man is nothing more than an alcoholic, drug user and you allow him here in this Church?” The Pastor smiled, “That man used to be those things, but he has been saved by God and now serves that God as my Associate Pastor. You see this building is a tool for God as I am, to heal the souls of man. Just like if you were sick and went to the hospital. If every person that showed up here was perfect and pure there would be no need for this building or me. But yes that man attends my Church and all that are like the man he was are welcomed here. Just as you  are welcome to join us today.” So no matter your background or where your at today, walk through the doors and take your seat.