God. What an appropriate subject this Easter weekend.
Growing up, my parents really didn’t go to church. I think we went to some vacation bible schools and I went to church with a friend a few times, but that was about it. When I moved to Seattle to go to UW, one of the first days of my 2nd year there I met some people as part of the welcoming group (called DAWGS) to the dorms. The first person I met was named Garry. Somehow we got onto the topic of religion and he invited me to join Intervarsity Fellowship (IVF) and his Bible Study. (I also remember watching the UW-Miami game with him (the first matchup since UW and Miami shared the national championship (back before the whole BCS stuff) and some others in a big tv room in which UW beat Miami. That was a great game.)
Anyway, I ended up meeting some wonderful people through IVF and this Bible Study, as well as developing my understanding of the Bible and my relationship with God. Two of the people I met during this time were my bridesmaids in my wedding. However, when I moved off campus, my attendance at the Bible study was very small and I didn’t really go to church again or a Bible Study again for quite some time but I still maintained my belief and relationship with God the best I could. I admit that there were several times (and still are) when my belief falters with going through infertility to fear of the feature, but I always seem to find my way back.
It wasn’t until Jon and I had kids that we thought it would be good for us to have our children grow up in a church – so they can learn and make their own decisions about God and to have that community. Friends of ours joined a church in Lake City (neighborhood in Seattle) and asked us if we would like to join them. We did and the rest is history. We’ve been going to this church now for nearly 4 years now.
I know several people, including those in my own family, that do not believe in God or are agnositc. I know I don’t do a very good job of trying to lead them to believe as I feel like it is their own choice to make. It is also hard to encourage them to believe when you still continue to have your own doubts. I know that joining a church has been good for me though – I am learning more and I have, once again, met some wonderful people.
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