He was very much a self-made man and took a lot of pride in his talents and achievements. Christianity, he would say over and over again, was a crutch for the helpless and weak-willed. He would tell me how proud he was of me leaving church and how I absolutely made the right decision. So I shut down the part of me that believed in God and shut up about my faith altogether.
When we broke up, he told me very matter-of-factly that I should go back to church. Knowing how he felt about Christians, his words cut me deeply. So even when I felt God's call again, I resisted Him for as long as I could. I wanted to be strong on my own, and I didn't want to prove my ex right.
And then I met Andrew. On our second date, we sat across each other in a very trendy bar on Club Street and he asked me what I believed in. I was hesistant to bring up my Christian past, but I saw no reason to lie and decided to give him the whole nine yards. I figured I had nothing to lose since I thought I would never see him again.
I told him that I had converted to Christianity in high school, and how in university I had been convinced that my calling in life was to be a missionary in Thailand. I told him that my life used to revolve around church and that I used to run small groups and lead Bible Study, but eventually I was burnt out and decided to leave church altogether. I was expecting him to write me off as a religious fanatic, but instead his eyes lit up and he said it was "very cool".
"Are you being serious, or are you being sarcastic?" I asked (in those exact words!), unsure of what to make of his response. And that's when he told me his story of being raised in a Christian household and going to youth group every week, but how college and life got in the way and he was now in a very similar situation to mine.
It felt like a huge weight lifted off my chest, because for once I didn't have to pretend about anything. My faith was no longer a "shameful secret" I carried around with me. And that's just one of the many things I love about Andrew- I can be open about my innermost thoughts and know that he would never judge me, because he's just not that kind of person.
Many weeks and countless hours of conversations later, Andrew and I realized that we had been walking on the same path, and that God had brought us together to grow in faith. It still amazes me that out of more than 7 billion people on earth, God led us to each other. But what is even more amazing is how He continues to bless us in ways we never could have imagined because we both made a commitment to walk with Him. Best decision ever.
Love,
Trish
When we broke up, he told me very matter-of-factly that I should go back to church. Knowing how he felt about Christians, his words cut me deeply. So even when I felt God's call again, I resisted Him for as long as I could. I wanted to be strong on my own, and I didn't want to prove my ex right.
And then I met Andrew. On our second date, we sat across each other in a very trendy bar on Club Street and he asked me what I believed in. I was hesistant to bring up my Christian past, but I saw no reason to lie and decided to give him the whole nine yards. I figured I had nothing to lose since I thought I would never see him again.
I told him that I had converted to Christianity in high school, and how in university I had been convinced that my calling in life was to be a missionary in Thailand. I told him that my life used to revolve around church and that I used to run small groups and lead Bible Study, but eventually I was burnt out and decided to leave church altogether. I was expecting him to write me off as a religious fanatic, but instead his eyes lit up and he said it was "very cool".
"Are you being serious, or are you being sarcastic?" I asked (in those exact words!), unsure of what to make of his response. And that's when he told me his story of being raised in a Christian household and going to youth group every week, but how college and life got in the way and he was now in a very similar situation to mine.
It felt like a huge weight lifted off my chest, because for once I didn't have to pretend about anything. My faith was no longer a "shameful secret" I carried around with me. And that's just one of the many things I love about Andrew- I can be open about my innermost thoughts and know that he would never judge me, because he's just not that kind of person.
Many weeks and countless hours of conversations later, Andrew and I realized that we had been walking on the same path, and that God had brought us together to grow in faith. It still amazes me that out of more than 7 billion people on earth, God led us to each other. But what is even more amazing is how He continues to bless us in ways we never could have imagined because we both made a commitment to walk with Him. Best decision ever.
Love,
Trish
love this :')
ReplyDeleteTricia, the more i 'stalk' your blog, the more i wish i have known you sooner... (i was convinced that my calling in life was to be a missionary too)
ReplyDeletethat (not even) 10 mins chat on the subway was not enough!! Guess you will have to come visit japan again or i will have to go to NYC.(since melli is going to be there soon too)
Excited to see what God has in store for you and Andrew!!
btw, saw the video you recommended on Sam Abell...Loved it!
Oh Hiukei, I know! Can't believe Mel tried to keep you a secret for so long... You will have to come to visit me in NY- I need more friends there! And we can go to church together! :)
ReplyDeleteAm glad you enjoyed the video... Ed Kashi is pretty good too.