There's a Place for You

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:23-25 (NIV)

Arise and shine, dear one! God is with you!

I'll never forget that sunrise. My weary eyes were fixed on the windshield when a road sign appeared: Salem, Oregon… just a few miles away. We made it.

It was April 2020. Remember what the world looked like then? Stores shuttered. Schools closed. Church services moved online. And in the middle of all of it, my family packed up our lives in California and started over in Oregon.

As we settled into our new home, doubts filled my mind. We don't know anyone here. How would I find friends? Would my kids adjust to a new school? Would our family find belonging in a church we'd only ever watched online? Would there be a place for me to serve in women's Bible study again?

I brought every one of those questions to God… and He answered them. As we stepped out and sought community, He was faithful. We found a wonderful church home. And that summer, what would become Arise Women's Ministry began with a few women gathered in my living room, open Bibles, and a desire to see what God would do.

The book of Hebrews reminds us that when believers gather, something powerful happens. We encourage one another, we share what God has done, and those testimonies fuel our faith to keep pressing forward. But it doesn't happen by accident. It takes intentionality and showing up.

Do you have a community of believers around you, dear one? Maybe you're exactly where I was in April 2020… exhausted, starting over, wondering if you'll ever really belong somewhere. But here’s what I know to be true: as we hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, He proves Himself faithful!

If you've found that church home, be the person who notices the newcomer walking through the door, the one who might be carrying more than anyone can see. And if you're still searching, don't lose heart. Keep showing up. Your faith community is closer than you may think.