JOY IS POSSIBLE

My Catholic raised fiancé felt it important to be married in a church. We visited a couple of Catholic churches but my total lack of understanding of Christianity discouraged the ministers from wanting to marry us. As an artist, the important factor was for the venue to be visually attractive, a great canvas on which to paint a life-changing event.

We drove past this beautiful building at the corner of Inwood and Northwest Highway and planned to visit the following Sunday. I knew instantly that the setting was perfect with the gorgeous, abstract stained-glass walls. During the sermon - the first of which I'd ever remembered hearing - I found myself inexplicably crying. I chalked it up to hormonal causes and we discussed visiting again the following Sunday. Again, the tears flowed uncontrollably.

Very curious about the involuntary physical reaction, I called to request an appointment with the Pastor the following week. I explained to Don that I had been raised in a family that did not attend church or consider themselves Christians and that I had no Christian teaching or exposure as a child. Being a logical, pragmatic thinker, I could not understand why the message would "touch" me with uncontrollable tears when I did not "believe". He engulfed my hands in his large, warm grasp and said, "It's the Holy Spirit moving within you and you've ignored it for so long that being in this spiritual setting has awakened it."

We talked for hours. "I don't believe that Jesus is actually the Son of God. I don't know if I even believe in a God or a Divine Creator," I explained. "And I certainly don't believe in immaculate conceptions. How did the Holy Spirit get inside ME?" His calm, reassuring, educational answers opened the door to a relationship with God for me. I came to know Jesus and cherish the moving of the Holy Spirit within me. Still today I cannot pray without crying. It used to embarrass me but now I smile, knowing that they are tears of joy and appreciation for being loved so much and led out of a life of darkness. Lovers Lane Church made me understand that inner joy was really possible. You see, I had spent so many years searching for unconditional love and resenting my parents for not being able to give it to me that when I finally felt it from my heavenly Father, I could not imagine a life without that love and joy. My marriage did not last but my love for God, Jesus and the joy I found in the wonderful family at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church has.

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