I love my church

Yesterday as I stood in my church The Faith Center I realized that for so many years I had been seaching for a place like this,somewhere were I felt like I had come home. Growing up in a catholic church which did service the same week after week ,with no joy or happiness as part of it. I dropped out of church for a while in my late teens I started going from church to church to see if I could find something ... I wasn't sure what I was looking for but I had that feeling that there had to be more than this.... I was lost looking to be found so when I met the man I was to marry ,he seemed to be more into his religion than I was and I decided to convert to judism so that we could one day raise our family in one religion. But it didn't fill the hole I had in my heart ,I had always had my own relationship with god,I prayed ,I read the bible,I had faith but I yearned for more . God is a patient man ,he waited until I was at my lowest point ,I quit smoking,had health issues,my mother died,I broke my foot and couldn't work out (for me a gym rat is like torture ) and my marriage ( which was verbally abusive for twenty years) was falling apart. When I fell to my knees and cried out " dear god I need you ,I can't do this on my own " that is when he opened the door and put Lyra in my life who was a co worker invited me to her church and I went . That service it was if god was speaking through my Bishop right to me . Now some people might not get me or why I chose this church (it is loud, we sing and dance and I am one of only a handful of white people ! ) but all of that didn't matter as I felt like I had come home ,this is were I belonged this was what I had been seaching for , I cried because of the joy I felt inside. Now fast forward almost two years later as I stand here and look around at my church family and listen to "my Bishop" that I realize that everything happens for a reason and that I know I couldn't have gotten through all of that without giving it up to god . I stand here in a new space in my life ,I have a voice ,I know my purpose in life to help others find their voice ,I started my own business which is Incrediable, I am grateful and I am blessed but most important as I stand here I have peace and joy that I have never felt in my life . So yes this is my home ,this is my family,this is my church and this is my Bishop and this smile belongs to my God!