This week we were challenged to share our story. I was debating whether or not to do a blog about “my story” because I didn’t really know where to begin. Then I really have been thinking this week about my faith journey. I was trying to think when it really began and one thing really stuck out to me. I am not really fabulous when it comes to words and fully expressing myself but I am going to try my best to put it all into words.
When I was growing up I went to church but I never really fully fell into the church routine. We stopped going to church when I was in middle school and I didn’t start going back to church until I was in high school and even then I went inconsistently. I never really felt that I was fully invested in going to church or was really comfortable with my faith. Fast forward several years and this is when I found myself in Morocco.
Morocco has been a huge growing experience for me and has really been the place where I can say I have grown comfortable in my faith. When I first arrived in Morocco I started going to church again. The year before I had been teaching in Ecuador and I didn’t go to church at all there. Going to church was great but this is when I first started feeling like I wasn’t “religious” enough. Everyone around seemed to have grown up in a church and was really strong in their journey. I felt inadequate and not fully comfortable around people and I especially didn’t feel comfortable talking to people about religion or how I felt. Throughout this time I continued to go to church and to bible studies. I was always quiet and just soaked it all in. Sometimes I would leave feeling encouraged and other times I would leave feeling like I wasn’t able to contribute anything because I wasn’t strong enough in my faith. But you know what? It didn’t really matter. God consistently put people in my life to remind me that it didn’t matter where I was in my journey because it was right where I was and it was my journey. It didn’t matter if the person sitting next to me had grown up in church and felt more comfortable sharing things with people because that was them, not me. I was right where I needed to be. Sometimes it is hard to remember that everyone has their own journey and everyone’s is different but everyone is right where they are.
These past three years in Morocco have been a huge growing experience. I finally feel comfortable where I am at. I no longer wonder if I am “religious” enough. I know that it doesn’t matter if someone else thinks I am “religious” enough because God knows my journey and that is all that matters.
Something encouraging for the week:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9
Thank you again to everyone who has supported me so far and continues to support me!
