Personal Narrative: Moving Away From God's Grace
Currently, I’m sitting in Panera after a long weekend away from Jacksonville, listening to Lord Hurton, and breathing in a newfound confidence.
Perhaps it would be better to preface this short narrative with my background: I was raised being told I was Catholic, but not practicing, and craving home, but not knowing what ‘home’ meant since my family had moved from place to place my entire life. After becoming Christian, my faith shot up like a thirsty seed that had just had its first taste of water. During that growth spurt, however, my family also moved to Japan. Since there are not many churches in Japan, not many people who know Christ (compared to Jacksonville, at least), and my family was slowly becoming convinced that I’d gone bat-shit crazy, I knowingly made the decision to leave this grace that I’d just experienced to chase after safety. I didn’t want to risk becoming stranded in a strange country at 16. That being said, I made some cowardly decisions all while knowing that I was running from an amazing God. The funny thing about grace, though, is that it will find us where we least expect it. As Davis said in Psalm 139: …show more content…
I was the prodigal daughter. Moreover, He continued to lead me towards Him. It was like I’d flown back into a cage of sin that had once held me with the false presumption that it would keep me safe, and God was leading me back out of the cage and into the freedom of His love. He lead me to drop out of college during my first year, and I did. Then He lead me to start attending another church, and I did - it was probably the most nerve-wracking of my journey, but I did. At this point, I was able to look back at the past He’d saved me from and see the destruction, hurt, and rubble that He’d pulled me out of. I didn’t want to go back, and now I know that I won’t. He has something bigger than planned for
Perhaps it would be better to preface this short narrative with my background: I was raised being told I was Catholic, but not practicing, and craving home, but not knowing what ‘home’ meant since my family had moved from place to place my entire life. After becoming Christian, my faith shot up like a thirsty seed that had just had its first taste of water. During that growth spurt, however, my family also moved to Japan. Since there are not many churches in Japan, not many people who know Christ (compared to Jacksonville, at least), and my family was slowly becoming convinced that I’d gone bat-shit crazy, I knowingly made the decision to leave this grace that I’d just experienced to chase after safety. I didn’t want to risk becoming stranded in a strange country at 16. That being said, I made some cowardly decisions all while knowing that I was running from an amazing God. The funny thing about grace, though, is that it will find us where we least expect it. As Davis said in Psalm 139: …show more content…
I was the prodigal daughter. Moreover, He continued to lead me towards Him. It was like I’d flown back into a cage of sin that had once held me with the false presumption that it would keep me safe, and God was leading me back out of the cage and into the freedom of His love. He lead me to drop out of college during my first year, and I did. Then He lead me to start attending another church, and I did - it was probably the most nerve-wracking of my journey, but I did. At this point, I was able to look back at the past He’d saved me from and see the destruction, hurt, and rubble that He’d pulled me out of. I didn’t want to go back, and now I know that I won’t. He has something bigger than planned for