I want to start by saying how grateful I am for my parents. They’ve always loved me and my brother. They were always there for us. I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
And so when they divorced, it brought a lot of unwanted change in our lives—more than I knew how to handle at the time.
There were always two of everything—two houses, two routines, two sets of rules. I couldn’t help but feel torn at times. It was hard having to always explain my family to other kids. I struggled to make friends.
As I got older, I acted out. I got into more fights than I want to admit. I was suspended from school more than once.
It all left me with feelings of uprootedness and instability. To this day, I keep my most important possessions in my truck, because I guess deep down, I still feel like you never know what might happen…
Spiritually, I was a kid with big questions: What’s it all about? Why am I here? What’s my purpose? My grandmother was a pillar of faith, and still is. She never stopped trying to share hers with me. But looking back, I think I was too wrapped up in my problems to hear it. I felt like I was always trying to hold it together, juggle everything myself. I think it all kind of hardened me against God and the church.
But that all began to change one Christmas Eve when my mom and my stepmom Nat brought us to Christ Church Cranbrook. I had never been in a traditional church like this before. And don’t get me wrong—I thought it was beautiful. But the worship—all the standing and kneeling, the processing! It was all very weird to me.
I looked around trying to pass the time. I was admiring the architecture and the stonework when my eyes landed on one of the lanterns shaped like a cross. And suddenly, I was overwhelmed with this strange warming feeling. I fell to my knees and clasped my hands—I didn’t see the nice red cushions, so I just kneeled straight down on the concrete!
But I stayed like that the rest of the service, right through to the last hymn. It was as if something had hit me.
On the ride home, everyone wanted to know what happened. I couldn’t say anything more than “I don’t really know!” Which my family will tell you is totally out of character for me.
But I truly had no words. All I knew was I wanted to go back. And we did. And yes, it still felt weird. I didn’t know what I was doing. But there was something here that kept drawing me back.
I eventually got connected with the youth program. Kellie invited me to acolyte training, and before I knew it, I was on the altar serving one Sunday.
And it was while I was sitting there in the middle of a service that it hit me: that strange warming feeling I had felt on that first visit—it was the feeling of knowing that I had found a home.
Something stable that I could always come back to. Something I could always rely on. That would always be there when I needed it.
And I realized as well that everything I had been missing, the Lord had already given me. It was right here all along. I felt free. It was as if a great burden had been lifted from my shoulders. All the parts of myself that I had pushed away had been found.
And what’s more, I hadn’t done anything. I just fell into it.
It was like Jesus just grabbed me by the collar and took me with Him. He grabbed me when I first walked in, and spiritually, I’ve never walked out.
When I got my driver’s license, the first place I drove was my dad’s shop, and the second was the church. And I’ve been driving myself every week since.
There’s a lot more to my story. I’ve made wonderful friends here. I had the experience of a lifetime on the youth mission trip last year. My grandmother and I now share the most beautiful conversations about our faith.
But if I had to boil it all down to something, it would be one word: Home.
I’m making a pledge this year, for the first time, because I am so grateful to have found God in this spiritual home. And it’s my hope that everyone who feels empty or disconnected or untethered in life might find a home here as I have.
Thank you—for this church is nothing without you all.
You can make your pledge for 2026 to Christ Church Cranbrook by clicking here.