Karen's Story

I've been a church-going girl all my life. My parents took us to the Methodist church in town. When they couldn't drive, I'd actually walk the mile and a half to children's choir practice or youth group. Really, I'm not making that up! As a young adult, I stayed close to church, though not involved like I had been as a kid. Once our first son was born, though, we made it a priority to get back into church. It was the right thing to do.

Being part of a church family gave me lots of wonderful friends and the opportunity to hang out with other stay-at-home-mommies. Involved in fellowship groups, Bible study groups and Sunday School teaching, I felt plugged in and productive.

However... Don't most stories have a however somewhere? On Sept. 11, 2001, my happy little church-going world exploded... right along with the Twin Towers in NYC. I didn't know anyone in New York. The thing was, I didn't know anyone in Clayton, NC, either. That's the town where we had just moved. Crisis struck and I had to face it alone. No friends to pick me up. No one to point me to Jesus. I crumbled.

The next several months, I learned a lot about myself. Much of it, I didn't like. I was prideful. I was cynical. I was mean-spirited. I was lonely. I was afraid. My security, which had been my faith in the strength of America, was demolished. The real me was left to deal with it. The real me failed.

Ultimately, my husband led me back to church... back to God. We discovered a church that promised hope, not in man but in God -- Not that our former church and friends hadn't. I was just too stubborn to hear. My new friends gently held my heart in their hands as they pointed me to the ultimate heart healer, God. In time, I discovered that I had depended on the strength of friends to be my Jesus, but I'd never depended on Him myself.

Since "9-11" I have become a new person. I live for Jesus. I still battle pride. I can be cynical. Occasionally, I'm mean-spirited. Sometimes I'm alone, though never lonely anymore. And when I'm afraid, I turn to Jesus. My comfort. My strength. My stability. My joy.

This blog, in large part, records my journey to joy. I'm only human and I make mistakes, but Jesus is always there to forgive and redirect. He leads me to the place where I always want to be. My destination joy.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, 

so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13