Emma’s Story
One thing I’ve learned about following Jesus: you can never quite predict what He’s going to do next. Just when I think I have life neatly mapped out, God throws in a twist that leaves me shaking my head, laughing or more often than not, crying in awe.
I’ll be honest, when I walked through the doors of All Saints for the first time, I had given up on all hope of the reality of God and didn’t think I’d ever come back. Life had felt like an uphill battle for so long that I just couldn’t even fathom how things could ever be easy. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy plodding along in life, but at the same time, I felt a little lost and hopeless, although at the time I don’t think I was aware of how I truly felt. You’re probably intrigued to know how I came to walk through the doors on that first Sunday, and if you’re not, well, I’m going to tell you anyway!!
Like many good stories, it all started with a baptism.
A friend of mine, Hayley, who I hadn’t spoken to properly since we were 15 years old, shared a video of her baptism on social media. When I saw the video, I was overcome with joy and excitement and felt prompted to reach out to her, but I didn’t. I did the usual “like” and comment, but deep down I felt spurred to do more. As I do with most feelings, I buried it down and ignored it.
Fast forward a week or two, I’m at my friend’s house for her son’s birthday celebrations. I’m feeling a little anxious as I’ve been told that another family will be joining the little gathering. My friend reassures me that they are a lovely family, with beautiful children and that I will be in safe hands. Before long there is a knock at the door and in stroll Zoe and Jamie Klair with their two and a half children (Gabby was soooo tiny). Before long we got to chatting, making small talk and finding out a bit more about one another. I mentioned that I grew up in Droitwich and Jamie’s eyes lit up. “Droitwich?! Do you know Hayley? She just got baptised at our church!” he exclaimed. That small, seemingly insignificant conversation was the nudge I needed to reach out to Hayley and get myself through the doors of All Saints. God knew what He was doing!!
The welcome, the love and the joy that hit me as I walked through those doors on Sunday 29th September 2024, changed my life forever. I can’t say that I significantly remember the sermon, but I remember that feeling of joy and peace flooding through me. Whatever it was, it made me want to come back the following week, and THIS is when my life totally changed.
Imogen shared her testimony. I sobbed. From the first word until the last. It was as if she was recalling my entire life story, the loneliness, the hopelessness, the defeat. The hope and encouragement that poured out of her words just got me, right down to the depths of my heart which I hadn’t explored in a very long time. When she had finished sharing her testimony and the gathering came to a close, I felt a sense of urgency to speak with her. I had never felt more sure of anything in my life, I WAS MEANT TO MEET THIS GIRL. So, meet her I did! I walked right up to her and told her “I think I was meant to meet you today”, we sobbed and rejoiced and that was the start of my journey with Jesus. When I got home and opened my bible to Isaiah 43 and started reading and got literal chills. God was speaking directly to me, encouraging me, well, this was it. The start of a new life, a new beginning, the end of loneliness, the end of self-reliance.
From that moment on, God has moved fast. He took my hand that day and just started running. From one little “Godincidence” to the next, it feels like God is delighting in surprising me, whispering in my ear “See? I’m here. I’ve got you”. From the meeting of new people at just the right moment, to opening my Bible to the exact verse that my heart needed or receiving encouragement from a friend on the day when I feel like I’m ready to throw in the towel. God is with me through it all.
What gets me most about my relationship with Jesus is the awe and wonder. The moments during worship when the music swells and the Holy Spirit can be felt filling the room; those are the moments that strike me most. Those are the moments when I realise, truly realise, that the Creator of the universe knows my name. HOW COOL IS THAT!? Wonder is absolutely everywhere when you’re walking with Jesus. It’s in the big miracles, the reconciled relationships and the tiny details. It’s in the way He turns ordinary days into holy ground.
If you’re reading this and feeling like your faith has become predictable or routine, let me encourage you: open your eyes to the surprises. Look for God’s fingerprints in unexpected places. Be ready to laugh at His sense of humour, be humbled by His grace, and be awestruck by His love.
The world paints this picture that Christian life is boring. But following Jesus is far from that. It’s the greatest adventure; full of surprises, full of awe, full of love and full of wonder. And the best part? The story isn’t over!