They say that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone. They also say that home is where the heart is. I’ve found that these two sayings pretty much sum up the church aspect of the past year of my life.

You probably didn’t know this, but my church at home means a lot to me. It’s filled with children that I used to teach, adults that care for me like I’m their child, and friends of all ages. This church is where I’ve gone almost every Sunday for years, and it’s home to the group of people who I went on three mission trips with.

When I first came to college, I wanted to maintain my faith and maybe even develop it further. This was difficult without the church that I was used to and the people that I was familiar with. I began to attend the contemporary service at school, and I liked it. But eventually, my schedule conflicted with the time of the service, leaving me without somewhere to share my faith. I tried five other services at nearby churches, but each time I left feeling unfulfilled, nearly in tears because I wanted so desperately to return to my church at home.

Throughout this time, I tried to stay positive and make my faith a priority, both of which failed. I drifted further from my relationship with God because I continually pushed it away, convincing myself that other things were more important. Without a worship service to keep me grounded in God, I was a wanderer without a home.

Then came the day when you invited me to church, out of the blue. I figured that it was worth one more try to find a church that I felt welcomed and comfortable in. At this point, I had just about given up, but I didn’t have much to lose.

I should’ve known.

The number seven means completion or perfection in the Bible. This was the seventh church service that I had tested out, and I loved it. I finally found where my heart belonged.

You’ll never know how much it meant to me when I followed you to the pew and realized that the first song we were singing was one of my favorites. You’ll never know how comforting it was when I looked around me and saw rows filled with students that I knew. You’ll never know how happy I was when I walked out of the sanctuary at the end of the service, but that’s okay. You may not have known, but God knew.

You saved me by inviting me to church, and I will be forever grateful for that. Thank you for the simple text that turned into something much bigger than we could’ve imagined.

Home is where the heart is, and my heart is at my new church.