Devotional 12-21-19

We Will Always Call the Place We Grew Up Home

Hello, some of you know me and some don’t. My wife and I were married in this church, well not in the sanctuary but upstairs in Jack Lipphardt’s office when he was here. At that time I wasn’t much into religion or faith for that matter. My wife, Marcia, on the other hand was and still is deeply rooted in the Methodist Church. She insisted on being married in the church and so we compromised on Jack’s Office, technically in the church.

We don’t attend JM any longer but I still receive the emails. I have seen the call for devotionals in the past but never gave them much thought as really I am not sure what exactly one is, but the last email resulted in me replying. Why? I have no clue, I responded without even considering that I would eventually be sitting here pondering where to start with my first devotional. The first one to a church I don’t attend anymore. Why would my first devotional be to a church I no longer attend? Well because I love this church and while we attend First Church now, this place not the building but the people who attend church here will all ways be in my heart. Even after we left JM, when we would attend a special service here Jack would shake my hand and say welcome home. This is my faith home. In the short time I was here I found faith.

So how could someone who some of you don’t even know call this home? The best way to explain it is to walk you through how I found God and how JM assisted me in that journey. There were multiple scripture options to relate my devotional to. I read through the options and decided on Isiah 7: 10-16. I read before and after this section trying to relate but 10-12 stuck out to me.  10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, 11 “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.” The Lord says to ask for a sign but Ahaz refuses and says he will not put the lord to the test!

How often do we ask for a sign from God? I can say I have. God, show me that things are going to be ok, God prove to me you exist, God show me the way, God I need you to…. Ahaz says I will not ask. I will not put the lord to the test. That is some serious faith in God if you ask me.

How do you get to that point? That point in your faith journey where you trust God undoubtedly.  Your response is I will not test God because I trust God so much that I know with every ounce of being that I don’t need a sign and I won’t test God. WOW!
I know I am not there yet. I don’t know if I will ever get there.

So how far have I come though? Well I have come a long way in a short time. I have discovered faith in God is a journey we all travel. Some get on the road and hit a few bumps and they are like Ahaz but most struggle. I am in that “most” category. My journey has been a rough one. I was raised Jewish while attending Catholic private school. Bar Mitzvah, did that, and was at Wednesday mass 4 days later.  Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, Melekh ha’olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav uuuuuhhh…. that’s about my extent of Hebrew now. Talk about a confused kid!

From age 13 to 30 I had all but given up on church and faith for that matter. Did I believe in God even? Well I know when Marcia asked me when we were dating, if I believed in God, I lied and said yes. I wasn’t sure and just said yes because I didn’t want to screw things up as I knew she was pretty rooted in her faith.

I admit this freely now. There was a time in my life I didn’t believe in God. Does this make me a bad person? Maybe to some but I don’t think so. Many lose faith for all sorts of reasons. Finding faith after losing it is where I noticed my biggest strength in God. When you lose faith in God that is when you have given up on even testing God. You are lost. I have been lost and I have been found. Later on in the book of Isaiah 53 6We all, like sheep, have gone astray each of us has turned to our own way.

So how does a Jewish Catholic Atheist end up now as a Mess-o-thothist? I am not sure how to designate myself really. I say that as I am not baptized nor do I take communion, but I am pretty involved in my journey. I am still a bit confused on organized religion as many are.

Let me take you down bulleted version to how I ended up believing in God and began my journey. I give you the bulleted version as I doubt many want to miss any meals reading this.  

• Marcia got divorced. 
• I got divorced. 
• Marcia’s best friend, my cousin plays match maker. 
• No go on a relationship starting a 1000 miles apart.
• 2008 Recession. 
• I find myself homeless living on the road out of a hotels.
• One weekend I embark on a spontaneous road trip to Ashland, KY.
• I see an angel…..  Wait an angel? Yes an angel. I can tell you when I saw an angel. I either saw an angel or Marcia is an angel, most would agree she is. All I know is a pretty bight light surrounded Marcia that day. I am not trying to tell a love story, even though that sounds like the beginning of one. While this was not the first time Marcia and I had met, we briefly met as kids, Marcia showed up at my cousins house when I was visiting. She walked in and she had a glow surrounding her. I kid you not an actual glow. It was like a sign from God. I consider it a sign. We began a long distance relationship from that point forward. Was I testing God? No God shined his light on Marcia so I could see the path forward. 
• Back to Texas I went.
• Work was going nowhere.
• Couple of visits from me to West Virginia, and her to Texas.
• Laid off another victim of the recession. 
• Desperate and homeless, I relocate to West Virginia.
• Now you may be thinking this timeline is a long one but that road trip was in mid-2009 and I moved to West Virginia in January 2010. Talk about speed dating!
• No Jobs in West Virginia but offers outside in Louisiana.A long distance relationship is not an option, What to do? Forced to consider moving for work I consider college at 30 years old! College = Debt in my mind but Marcia tells me don’t look at it as debt but an investment in yourself. I had never thought of it that way but I know that investment I will pay on for many years to come. No regrets though.
• I started College at Marshall University with only a GED. I decide to go big, must have something to do with being a native Texan. I choose to major in Engineering. Starting 10 years out from dropping out of High School it was going to be tough.
• Marcia gets pregnant before I even start. I was committed to investing in myself and didn’t waiver.  

“I remember when I first loved my children. It was not on the day when they climbed into my lap, hugged me, and said, “I love you, Daddy.” It was not on the day when they took their first step or babbled “Dadda.” It was not on the day they quit crying when I held them. It was not on the day they were born. The first day I loved them was when my wife announced, “We’re going to have a baby.”This is an excerpt from If Grace Is True by Philip Gulley & James Mulholland the first book I studied in Sunday school here at JM.

• Marriage???? Been there done that not really interested. Remember that glow.
• Married up stairs. 
• Codie Josephine Canterbury comes along. 
• More school 
• Dad passes away unexpectedly
• Heaven and Hell?

Ok you’re caught up.

I was suddenly struck with the notion of where my dad maybe after death and this deeply concerned me. He lived a pretty crazy life and I was now ready to explore my faith. Funny how death sometimes does that. I was not testing God but felt for my own sake I should explore my faith to better understand my concerns.

I remember the first time I attended a service at JM. I came unknowing to Marcia showing up late and sitting a few rows behind her, our friend Lucas, and Cordie. After the service I was welcomed and told I should really meet the Canterburys who were about my age.

I started attending services and Sunday school lead by Jeff Taylor. I was introduced to that book, If Grace was True. This book was everything I had wanted to believe in but written down for me. Another sign? It is not for everyone but it really opened my eyes to faith. It gave me a starting point to believe in God.

So it began my Journey and with it my home, here at JM.

Was I testing God? No! While I can’t say for certain my faith is not strong enough to never test God as Azah refused to. I do trust God enough to follow any light that he may shine to light my way.

 Andrew Canterbury