When Derek I moved to California, we attended a church for about a year that was affectionately called Paz Naz. There were lots of great people at this church. There were things we really liked about it. But we never connected with it like family. And being all alone out there, we wanted a church family. Then I met Beth and everything changed. She was the nurse practioner at school, and when I called for an appointment, I happened to get scheduled with her. She happened to have two kids, and I loved kids. She just happened to see something in me and called me to baby-sit. She happened to live less than 10 minutes from me (which was 30 minutes away from school for both of us.) I started picking up her kids from school. Started staying over for dinner. She became my mom away from my mom. She was the second person I called when I found out I was pregnant with Connor, and she rushed right over with some pregnancy books, a big hug, and a prayer. She happened to go to this community church and invited us to go. That church just happened to become our family. I met my best friends there. And all of this just happened becuase I got scheduled with Beth at the school clinic.
Just happened? No way. I think there are times when we can look back and see whole series of events that are totally and comletely the hand of God. And while I know that God is working in everything I do, I really love when there is something that just totally stands out as providencial. The story of how we found our church in California is totally providencial to me.
On our second Sunday there, a family in the church hosted a newcomers dinner. It was a small church and they asked for a show of hands as to who was coming. Derek and I raised our hands, and unbeknowest to me, someone in the back saw me and thought “I could be friends with her.” That person, Beth (a different Beth…I know there are too many Beth’s…), became one of my very dearest friends. Totally providencial.
Anyway, the whole point of this post is not just to talk about how we were led to our church in California. But I think it’s a really great story. Another story is unfolding now, a story that may just turn out to be very similar.
We’ve been attending this pretty large mega-church for the past 7 months. We aren’t really connected in any way, and I’ve started thinking that it’s going to be the Paz Naz of Houston. Not that it’s not a great chruch, because it is. But I have only been once in the past month and honestly don’t have a huge yearning to go. I don’t feel stronger in my walk. It’s not family.
About a week ago, I drove past a church (no surprise since there are so many down here.) But for some reason, this time I thought to myself “Megan, you should find out more about that church.” Tonight I just remembered it, and searched for it on the internet. And as I was browsing the site I started having this God feeling about it. Like we are being led there. There are little things, like the service time. I am sure that every family has the perfect idea of a time for Sunday morning service. For us, that time is 9:30. Bingo. I was looking at the ministers, and first of all they have this hilarous picture of their pulpit minister from like 1982. Totally made me laugh. And in the blurb about him it said “he has no idea that this is his profile picture.” One of the music ministers graduated from ACU, just like Derek. Another minister graduated from Harding. Good schools there. I went on to read the history of the church. Turns out that it was a Church of Christ for about 40 years, and just in the past 10 years has made the change to an inter-demoninational community church. Cool. There is a preschool there. It’s less than 5 minutes from our house. It’s fairly small, I believe (only 1 service, compared to the 4 at the church we currently attend.) I like that. I showed Derek the site and he thought it was pretty crazy that I randomly decided to look this church up, and he agreed that we should definitely visit it. So we’ll see.
Sometimes I wish Derek were a minister just like Ryan so we wouldn’t have this find-a-church issue.
Anywho. All I know is that God is good.
And there are pictures coming back to my blog soon. It’s been too long since I posted pictures. Happy Thursday, everyone!