Thanks, Florida! (And Morris, Illinois too!)

Thank you, Florida Gulfstream PresWIC (Women in the Church), for a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

I was truly blessed and encouraged to spend time with each one of you.

And many thanks to Lake Osborne Presbyterian Church too! I rarely get to attend worship services on weekends when I travel … and even though my flight schedule only allowed me to be there for the first hour of your service (SORRY to miss your sermon, Pastor Downing!) … thanks to the wonderful liturgy, hymns, confessions, and prayers, I was truly edified even by just the beginning of your service.

In fact … sitting in your church this morning, I was overwhelmed with gratitude to God for putting ME into HIS BODY throughout my entire Christian life, but in particular at the VERY beginning of my walk with Christ. How grateful I am for Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Morris, Illinois!:

– For a pastor who took an un-churched, newly regenerate, high school freshman (me!) through adult confirmation so that I could take my first communion (and who never made me feel stupid for asking even the most BASIC questions about the Christian faith)

– For hymns & creeds & confessions & liturgy! (A crash course in theology–every single Sunday. What a gift of grace!)

– For Mrs. Funte welcoming a strange, messed-up kid into handbells and choir and all sorts of other “normal” teenage activities that I never even knew EXISTED prior to my conversion

– For Myrtle, the church secretary, who always made me feel welcomed and loved when I stopped by just to say hi!

– For Mrs. Coop, the mother of a fellow classmate, who bought me a “super cool” BIBLE COVER (“just like the other teenagers had”) … she didn’t have to do that! But she did.

– For countless people who drove me to and from church, choir, handbells … even doctor appointments!

– For the adult Sunday School Class and Bible Study that welcomed me (even though I skewed the median age WAY DOWN from 50 or 60 or 70); and the “singles ministry” that allowed a teenage kid to enjoy their friendship and fellowship … I learned about prayer and worship and PASSION FOR CHRIST from both of these age groups (and I will never forget John & Tom & Tammy & George …)

– And of course, for my “Christian parents”, Paul & Donna Livingston, who opened their hearts and their home to a wounded, scared, dysfunctional kid who didn’t know how to love or be loved … and for their children who ‘shared’ them with me (especially Cindy West–who took me home from the hospital after my mom’s suicide attempt, tucked me into HER childhood bed, and lavished prayers and love on me that I could NEVER, NEVER, NEVER deserve

God gave me a HOME in His family.

(Imperfect? Of course! Challenging at times? Terribly. Hurtful at times? THE WORST–just like all family conflicts.)

But God gave me a HOME and a FAMILY in the Church.
 (And this church family is a big part of the reason why I can also have the best relationships with my mom & dad & sister today! 🙂 )

Thank you, fellow churchmen, for not giving up on me.
Thank you for loving me when I was quite unlovable.
Thank you for teaching me TRUTH.
And for helping me to grow in grace.

Yes … yes … the worst hurts of my life have happened in the Church.
And yet, this I know: the Church is one of the primary means of God’s grace in our lives.
I thank God for the Church every single day.

Thanks again, women of Florida!
I hope we’ll stay in touch–

With love from Minnesota!
(two flights down, one more to go … it’ll be 1AM Florida time when I get home to Montana tonight),
–Tara B.