In November of 2017 my Dad passed away. I received a postcard mailing from PCC for the Blue Christmas Service and I felt God nudging me to attend. This beautiful service opened my eyes and touched my soul. I began attending services every Sunday.
My spiritual journey consciously began with my baptism at PCC in September 2018. I was baptized as a child but did not choose it myself, so accepting Jesus Christ and publicly declaring it as an adult was significant for me and my walk with Christ. I attended Sunday services regularly, joined a small group and volunteered to serve in Guest Services and Administrative help when needed.
I went on my first mission trip in 2022 with Samaritan’s Purse through PCC. Helping strangers in another state opened my eyes to suffering that I had never witnessed firsthand before. The devastation was visible and people’s lives were turned upside down. It was a privilege to help them and to show them Jesus’ love through our efforts. The Chaplains from Samaritan’s Purse presented each family with a Bible at the end of our cleanup efforts. Tears were shed and gratitude expressed. My heart was full.
I felt like I was doing what a follower of Jesus was commissioned to do, but I was being nudged to go deeper. I saw an opportunity for a Spiritual Retreat at Richmond Hill and felt God’s nudging, so I signed up for the overnight retreat. Afterwards, Beth Stoddard invited me to explore the book Discovering Our Spiritual Identity, Practices for God’s Beloved by Trevor Hudson. After reading the introduction and the first chapter or two I was hooked. I wanted more! This is where my spiritual journey took on a whole new dimension, changing me from the inside out. Each chapter/session explored new areas of spiritual awareness that had evaded me prior to this experience. Beth met with me regularly, and this helped me to open up and see myself and my relationship with God in a whole new light.
This process was arduous at times. There was homework and self-reflection involved. I bristled at the thought of homework but then embraced it enthusiastically. One particular session was about remembering our personal stories, even the painful ones. We were encouraged to invite Jesus to meet us in our suffering – to visualize my suffering up on the cross with Jesus, just as he did when he died on the cross for the sins of the world.
I learned that anything can be a spiritual practice, and since it was a beautiful day and I was on a 20 mile bike ride, I focused on this reflection. Throughout the ride I was mentally putting my pain up on the cross with Jesus. The exercise seemed futile. Then, about 5 miles from home I imagined my pain up on the cross dying with Jesus for the umpteenth time – but this time I said, “I believe in you Jesus, and I believe that you can take this emotional pain from me.”
Immediately my body was filled with an overwhelming sense of lightness. I believe this was the moment of my encounter with Jesus. He filled me with His light and love and the painful emotional burden that I had been carrying for my entire adult life was lifted that day; I no longer felt the emotional trauma. This encounter with Jesus changed me from the inside out. It was like opening a door, revealing all the goodness and love that God had to offer. It was mine for the taking – or, should I say, accepting.
I continued to explore spiritual formation through the From the Inside Out course at PCC, and the book Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer. I was intrigued by the Sabbath practice detailed in the book, and much to my delight, found resources for Comer’s teaching on Right Now Media! I felt God was surely leading me down His path – the one He had made for me!
I opened my home to a small group interested in studying the practice of Sabbath. We’ve gone on to study the Prayer practice and the Solitude practice, as well as the entire Practicing the Way course – and we will continue to explore other specific spiritual practices together.
Apprenticing under Jesus by intentionally practicing the disciplines keeps me on course, and I have experienced transformation. I crave my time in solitude and silence and prayer with Jesus. I crave meeting with my small group each week as we lean into each new discipline. I’ve learned that community is crucial to our development and life as apprentices to Jesus. We learn from each other as we open up and become more vulnerable and enjoy fellowship together in a safe and confidential environment.
Life gets busy and messy and can throw me off course, but that doesn’t deter me from beginning anew each day. Like Jesus said, I now say: Come and see.
