While discussing who was going to help on what committee at the church, one member said that we were ALL on the Evangelism Committee.  I didn’t consider myself an evangelist, but I do love to share my love for Jesus and His love for me with anyone and everyone! 

My husband, Scott and I had separated after 10 years of marriage.  I was tired of working on problems that only seemed to go away for short periods of time, just to return again.  I thought I could make a better life for our son and myself, by myself.  I was going to take control of my life.

On my way to and from work I passed a Lutheran church, and they always had a little message on their sign outside.  It changed weekly, and I used to look forward to reading it.  I hadn’t gone to church since Scott and I had moved here.  Some of those little messages would really hit me, and I would think that maybe I should find the time to visit that church. 

One Saturday night I decided that was it… I was going in the morning.  I got up and headed out.  While I was driving, all kinds of worries and concerns kept going through my mind, making me feel like just going back home.  Well, it was when I had turned onto Highway 150 that I realized I was headed in the wrong direction for the church I had intended to attend.  But it was definitely too late to turn around, so I decided to go on to Holy Cross Lutheran Church in my determination to start going to church THAT week.  I really feel that God was driving my car for me while I was doing all that worrying.  He drove me to Holy Cross, where I was greatly blessed with a wonderful church family.

It felt good to start going to church on a regular basis.  I made great friends right off the bat, and so did my son, Ian.  After a couple of months my pastor recommended that I attend a Via de Cristo weekend retreat.  I decided to go, and spent the best weekend ever.  I was so overwhelmed with God’s love for me.  I formed a relationship with Him that I didn’t know could be possible.  All those years of going to church, and I finally got it.  I needed to share God’s love.  I started praying earnestly for God to lead me.  I started talking about church and how God had blessed me in leading me to Holy Cross.

Coming to Holy Cross and seeing the families there, I was envious.  I was bringing my son, but to be able to share God’s love with my spouse like I saw them do would be incredible!   When we started an Alpha program at church, I prayed for Scott, but I invited my sister-in-law.   She joined our church afterward.  The next Alpha course started and I invited my friend Barbara, who also joined at the end of the sessions.  Somewhere in there, Scott decided to come and check out Alpha.  I don’t believe I was the one who actually invited him, but I know I had talked about it with him.

 During our separation, we had grown closer as friends than we had been while we were married.  I prayed for him everyday.  When Scott’s name came up for acceptance to join the church during a council meeting, the doubt in me had me thinking, “Yeah, right!”  Being friends is one thing, but I didn’t want him coming to church to try to impress me and make me think he was a changed man.  I was praying God was leading him, but was afraid to believe it.  I think it was when he attended a Via de Cristo weekend that I finally realized he was sincere. 

The rest is history!  Circumstances in our lives brought us separately to God.  That’s what it took for us to come full circle.  It took us 5 years to figure out where God wanted us to be, but just as important, we finally realized that God needed to be in the center of our lives.  Pastor John led us in our Marriage Recommitment Ceremony in December of 2003!  I feel that if others can hear about that miracle, then surely they will know that our God is awesome! 

I had believed in God my whole life, but I didn’t know God.  I couldn’t see how he was working in my life or feel his love until I met the wonderful bunch of Christians at Holy Cross.  Through opportunities and by example, they have helped me grow closer to Him.