My journey has been long and wide. It has been easy and sometimes hard. I do not know where my path will end or where my journey is destined to go, but what I do know is my testimony is deep and true.
I had been a member of the Catholic faith since I could remember. I hit several different religions along the way. My path had always led me back there. I am a HUGE creature of habit. Change is hard for some and very difficult for me. My faith has always been strong but sometimes my doubt was bigger.
Over the past several years I traveled a road most never come out of, and some often take the easier path of continued disobedience. It took me many bumps in the road, life-changing moments and life-altering events, to know my life had to change.
Along my journey I would call out for help and pray asking the Lord “to save me” or “to help me.” I wouldn’t say my requests were unheard of or even selfish, but sometimes in life we only pray when we feel that is a last resort.
Philippians 4:6 that has always hit home with me: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Sometimes you just have to ask and so I did.
Last year I made a huge leap in my faith. The kind that tells stories of haunting pasts and lost moments of faith. I have been attending this small church with a huge heart. They have helped open my eyes to my deep-rooted faith, one that I had clearly buried deep. As the months gave way to a year that I attended this church, they would always welcome my kids, mom and me with open arms – never judging or never condemning me of the many times I raised my hand during a service because I was falling back into old patterns.
The answered prayers that I experienced attending this church, the love that poured out in the smiles each week, our names always being remembered with each entrance to a service or event (something that never happened in all of the years I attended Catholic Mass), the praise and worship that could bring a grown man to tears … I truly believe the Holy Spirit is alive in that place of worship.
The decision to part ways from my Catholic ties was not an overnight sensation. I doubted even the biggest nudge on my heart. This leap felt like a wide river I could never get across. It took me many hidden hand raises, tons of sermons by the pastor and three guest speakers before I was ready to take the leap of making this my new home church.
If I ever doubted my faith, those speakers helped me understand that the Lord does not turn his back on us. He does not shun us at our weakest moments in life, nor does He always give us what we want. He gives us what we need.
This life-changing moment, this leap of faith was a whole-hearted decision I needed to make for myself and my family.
In August of last year, I made a decision to get baptized in water and get rededicated to my faith. It was a great moment in time, and blessings have been overflowing!
This journey has also seen me attend my first women’s conference in November and, boy, what an amazing event that was. The women’s conference featured speakers that told stories of struggles you can relate to while songs rang out that enabled you to grasp the meaning of “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”
My most recent big-impact moment was to officially join this loving church I had been attending for some time. On the December day I was supposed to officially join, I woke up extra early and attended Catholic Mass beforehand. It was just like I had remembered. Nobody knew my name, the routine was the same and I toggled back and forth from the “cry room” because my extremely active child was not eager to sit still. The Catholic Mass didn’t have kids ministries like Calvary Grace, just a “cry room.”
This only reconfirmed my desire to become a member of Calvary Grace, where the bonds I have formed are meaningful and the welcome is always bountiful. My decision was extra-concreted at that moment.
After Calvary Grace’s praise and worship, which is my absolute favorite by the way, complete with crying and hand-raising to awaken the soul, I was welcomed to the front of the church BY NAME and officially became a member on Dec. 14. I have joined many churches, but those moments were nothing like this. To top that off, each Calvary Grace attender that Sunday morning either shook my hand or hugged me. The feeling was overwhelming, satisfying and wonderful!
Ephesians 2:8 states, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
I am eager and overjoyed as I continue my path here at Calvary Grace. This path has many great things in store for me, and the journey will be amazing! When I feel as if I need a nudge, I know my church family is always there to pick me up and reiterate Philippians 4:13:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Inside Look @ Our Featured Blogger:
Michelle Sanchez first attended Calvary Grace with her son, Alex, and daughter, Alyssia, in the summer of 2013. Since then, her mom, Tish, has also become a regular attender of our church. Michelle warmed up to the church by providing her delicious baked goods for a REVIVE Youth fundraiser that Alex was involved in. Michelle continues to serve up her amazing cooking for any church event involving food. In December of 2014, she spearheaded a new ministry that’s become a hit called Sunday Morning Fill-Up, where she prepares and serves free breakfast foods and beverages from the kitchen for a half hour before the service begins the first Sunday of each month. Alex was a key part of the youth ministry throughout most of his high school years before heading to college in the fall. Alyssia brings her infectious smile to Calvary Grace’s kids ministries each week.
Michelle is employed as a project assistant at American Property Construction Company in Alexandria, Va.
