Reflections on being church-homeless for 8 months

Mike and I decided this last Sunday that we are going to make Riverside Community Church our new home. I can't even tell you all how Happy I am! So happy, so content, so grateful, so certain. As you may remember, we spent several weeks at Riverside in the fall, but stopped going when we moved into our new place due to the drive - 30 minutes one way. Its not like 30 minutes is forever or anything, I just really wanted to find a church close to home, you know? Be able to pop over for coffee or bring dinner over to someone. That, however, is not what God has in store for us and I can't wait to see how He'll work it all out.

I tend to be pretty skeptical when people say "This is where I was led" or "The Holy Spirit has brought me here." Sorry, Mom. But, I do feel like we stumbled and bumbled our way through the last 8 months and that, now, God has sufficiently refined us to be ready for a new church home. And, for whatever reason, I'm now the girl saying that I totally Know that this church is where God wants us. It's cool.

I've come to realize some things whilst being church-homeless and thought I'd take a moment to share them with you all.
- God is Big. And He works - everywhere and on everybody. I have a greater appreciation for the way that God takes every one's heart right where it is and goes from there. He isn't elitist or judgemental like I was when I was visiting churches. He just patiently slugs it out, one heart at a time. I now know that my heart needed A LOT of humilifying (that's right, I've created a new word!) before I could come to a new body and God graciously has softened me.
- The Bible is Really Important. I am at a place now where I really want to find "it" in the bible before I go talking like I know stuff. Or before I blindly accept what I'm being taught. The Bible is my textbook and it is sufficient.
- When God changes my heart, I have a desire to act on that in love to Him. I spent my time in Midland learning and taking and absorbing but not giving and serving. I can see now how serving and loving others is a love response to God and what He's done for me.
- I have a deeper understanding of what Jesus did for me up on that cross and what it means to be loved by the creator of the universe. I'm just in Awe. But I accept it in a way that I haven't before - like I can just revel in that love. I used to understand what it meant to be justified, but now God has written it on my heart.
- I "get" the concept of freedom and forgiveness in relationships better- I need to take people where they are and love them and leave the sanctifying up to God while being Liberal with my forgiveness.

While I'm not anxious to go through this process again, I understand some of what God's done through it to my heart and I'm so grateful!