Family of Faith

I moved to Greenville, SC in November of 2020. For a while, before I moved, I was at a place in my life where I felt stuck. I was going through the motions of my life, but I did not have a group of people around my age that desired to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus. I had one friend. His name is Nick. Today, I consider him my brother. Nick and his wife Chelsea lived in Georgia. They led a young adults group at their old church in Georgia. I remember desiring to be a part of a family of faith with people my age too. I remember looking up different churches with Young Adult groups near me. It is really funny. Within a day of me submitting my information, Nick and Chelsea texted me. I ended up going to that group for a while. I can’t explain it but there are just some people you feel drawn to and Nick was one of those people. It was a total God thing for sure! As time went on, we ended up hanging out more. We became really good friends. One day, Nick and Chelsea decided they were going to move to Greenville, SC. They made a date to move down there. I ended up helping them out. I remember for some reason asking the question: “What would it look like for me to move to Greenville too?” Nick and I ended up talking a lot about it over the next couple of days before I made my way back to Georgia. We ended up praying about it, and I continued to pray about it every day for almost 2 weeks. One evening, I was fervently praying out to God, and I remember feeling the overwhelming presence of God. Much like when I was saved a few years prior. I remember the Holy Spirit communicating to me in a way I can not explain. God told me to move here. God told me to trust Him and that He would use me to lead many people here to Him. It would be a great time of growth for me. Not only here in Greenville, but throughout my life in ministry. One of the biggest prayers in my life was to have more people in my life that desired to grow in their relationship with God. I remember one of the last things God told me was that I would doubt Him. I remember saying there is no way I am going to doubt you, Lord! And to no surprise, right after I moved to Greenville, SC, I doubted everything that God communicated to me. Right after I had that unexplainable time of prayer with God, I felt at peace about moving. I remember finding an apartment and moving to Greenville on November 4th, 2020. I was so sure that it was God communicating these things to me that I moved before I was able to find a job. I moved only knowing 2 people. Nick and his wife Chelsea. I left everything behind and started what felt like a new life. I doubted God after I moved here. I wrestled with Him about things not working out when “I” expected them to. God’s timing is very different from our own, and a HUGE lesson I have learned after moving here is PATIENCE!

I ended up going to my church here and going to what was called 21 days of prayer at the beginning of 2021. My friend Curt suggested I come to it. He was actually the first person I met at my church after moving here. On the first day of 21 days of prayer, I ended up meeting Casey and his wife Kenzie. That evening I remember planning to ask Casey and Kenzie about starting a bible study when I saw them the next morning. I go in the next morning and literally a second before I was going to mention starting a bible study, Casey invited me to the bible study they have at their home. I found out later that God really put it on Casey’s heart to ask me before the prayer gathering that morning. I ended up going to their bible study later that week. I remember having this instant connection with everyone there. I instantly felt this massive amount of joy. I can’t explain it, but it was then where I knew I was where I was supposed to be. Today, the people in that bible study are not just my friends. They are my family. 

Earlier in this post, I mentioned all the things that God communicated to me about 2 months before I moved to Greenville, SC. Everything that God told me has happened, is in the fruition of happening, or hasn’t happened quite yet.  God has answered my prayers and multiplied them into more than I could have ever imagined. I thought a few people I was close with would be amazing. God has led 30+ people into my life that I am so close with today. I am a completely different person than I was before I moved here. God has used me in big ways here, and has blessed me beyond all measure! God has given me a Family of Faith, and I can never be thankful enough. It brings me tears of joy looking back on my life and seeing how God has clearly guided me and shaped me into who I am today. God deserves to be praised, worshiped, and glorified for who He is. Through every high mountain top and through every low valley in our lives, God deserves to be glorified. I can never thank Him enough for all He has done and will continue to do in my life. I desire for people to know Jesus. I desire for others to know the God that has done wonders in my life and has changed my life, can change theirs too!

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23, ESV).