My Favorite Part

Today was our last day at Bragg Creek / Redwood Meadows Community Church.

I felt a little sad, quite detached, and sort of apathetic towards the church. There are some people I will miss dearly that I may never see again on this earth. And some people I don't want to sever ties with yet. It does not seem weird to me that we are making plans to get together with families, couples, and individuals in the weeks to come who attend the church we got kicked out of. I do not know how to just drop people that we have been in relationship with for the past 3 & 1/2 years. Everyone that I have talked to seem sad that we are leaving and some have said that even though Cris is stepping out of leadership, we should still attend and be part of this church community. So although I feel jilted by the small leadership team in our church, I feel loved by the rest of the church and desire to stay in relationship and fellowship with many of them. I love them. And I have never felt so loved by a group of people like I have felt loved here. And I hope that is all I take away from this church. I hope I don't take a grudge too far down the road with me. I hope I don't take any sorrow too far either.

God has blessed us this past 3 & 1/2 years with a caring community. We have also had the burden of nit-picky I-can't-believe-you-did-that thinking people who don't know how to drop anything and take everything so incredibly personal that they are offended when you wear a Star Wars tie or don't invite them to your home every week or don't offer to take care of their kids while they are doing something much more important than you. But all in all, my experience here has been good.

I am glad that God gave us the people and the place here, even though it was just for a short time. He has shown me that no matter the time He has given us in a certain place or with certain people, I can make the most of my time by jumping in to relationship with people and loving them as hard as I can. And my favorite part is that we likely will spend eternity with the people here that I love, so the relationships that I cherish here will be carried on into eternity. That hope is my favorite part about life. I was definately created for relationships because when I spend time with people I love, that is when I feel content and right.