I grew up as part of a large family in Northern Indiana. My dad liked to say that he had 3 and a half dozen children. He would also tell folks that he had eight boys and each one had a sister. Let me know when you get the number.
We went to church and did mostly normal family stuff. The family, over the years, grew much much larger (please don’t quiz me on birthdays – I’ll fail!). We don’t call each other much but most of us attempt to get together every year (not all of us live close anymore).
I moved to Asheville in 1991 when I was 27. A week after arriving I had a job lined up at The Grove Park Inn where I continued working for over 20 years. I’ve spent over 3 decades of my life working in the hospitality world and find that it comes in handy to know which fork to pick up when going out to eat.
After 10 years of running from God, I found The Church at Asheville in 1996. It was time to return to God and He led me to my new family. The love and acceptance that they gave me didn’t make sense but I enjoyed it. It took a while but the joy that I lost so many years ago has come back. God is good, He is faithful, and He is my Savior.
Along the way something else very important happened as well … I met Shekinah. Who can imagine all that God did to bring her with her family from Louisiana and then me from Indiana; all so we could meet in Asheville, North Carolina. He made her for me and made me for her. He knew her to be my strength while I am her independence. It makes no sense, yet here we are. God is good, He is ever so faithful, and He is our Savior.
