I need to back up a little bit and mention something very important that led us to choose Otter Creek as our new church home. I've said before that several friends that had once attended Antioch C of C (that's Church of Christ for you non-C of C-ers) had made the move to Otter Creek, so it was one of the first churches we chose to visit. We visited there twice before leaving Antioch; in December of 2008, Tim went with the kids while I was out-of-town one Sunday. In January of 2009, our whole family visited together. Before the very first visit, a friend of ours, Jeff, told one of the children's ministers that we were coming and had an autistic son. They were thrilled to have Pierce visit. After our second visit, this children's minister, Janet, flagged Jeff down in the parking lot after church to ask how Pierce (and the rest of the family) felt at OC. She wanted us to feel welcome there, and she wanted to know what she could do to be more accommodating. Jeff gave her our number, and Janet called that week. She asked me the same question. Even if we chose not to return, she wanted to know how she could help other kids like Pierce in the future at Otter Creek. This made a HUGE impression on me and Tim. This proved to us that the children's ministry at Otter Creek was more about "acceptance" than "tolerance", and it was just what we needed to hear.
So, now I'll fast forward to a year later. In January of 2010, Tim had just about had enough of my attitude regarding church. After a couple of heated discussions, Tim sent me an email one day outlining what he saw as our options. 1) I needed to get with the program and find a way to plug in at OC. 2) We needed to visit the church that a couple of my hens attended. 3) We should try a church that we'd visited a couple of times (another church that one of my hens attended). He made it very clear that he loved Otter Creek, but he couldn't stand to see me miserable any more and didn't want me to feel like I was "taking one for the team" by staying there. A week later, Tim and I had breakfast together to discuss these options. I continued to insist that it didn't matter where I was; I was going to be miserable unless a change happened within me. We left without any resolution being made. That afternoon while I was napping on the couch, the phone rang. It was the other children's minister at OC, Melanie. She remembered me asking her at a luncheon for prospective members last summer about whether or not OC had any other kids like Pierce. I had told her that day all about the support ministry I had been involved in at Antioch. Melanie told me that that conversation had been on her mind lately, and she felt as if she needed to do something. She thought that Otter Creek needed to be a place that welcomed ALL children, including those with special needs. She wanted my advice about starting a ministry that would accommodate kids with special needs and asked if there was any possibility I'd be free tomorrow morning to discuss this. I was completely stunned (not to mention a little foggy from my nap), but agreed to meet with her. From that moment, something began to change in me.
The next morning, while I was heading to the church, Tim was typing up his prayer for me and (unbeknownst to me) sending prayer requests to his closest buddies. I had many people petitioning God on my behalf. Before getting out of the car, I spent a minute or two in prayer as well. Melanie and I talked about some of the logistics, but she was certain that this was a ministry Otter Creek needed. She wanted me to help her start it. When I left that meeting, I had chills and even felt a little shaky. I called Tim immediately and asked just what exactly he'd been praying for me, because something was happening! I was so excited, I asked him to meet me for lunch. When I got home later, I found Tim's prayer in my inbox:
God,
I don't exactly know what to say in this prayer. You know the struggles that our family has faced in the last 18 months. We lost a church family, and Melissa especially feels like she has been let down by our brothers and sisters here. And I believe she feels like she let down the people at Antioch that she left behind, especially the families that we were working with in the support group. Lord, I ask for you to heal this wound in our lives. I don't know if my belief is right or not Lord, but I want to believe and to trust that thru this painful time, that you will open opportunities for Melissa to serve you and serve your people...especially children like our own son. I pray that Melissa's talk with Melanie will bear fruit for your kingdom, but I don't pretend to believe that I know how you might bring this about. Help us to put our trust in you, and be willing to use our passions that you have given to us in your service.
Only a couple of months later did I know that he had emailed his friend Jason, the husband of a hen, and asked him to be praying that day. Jason then told his wife, who told a couple of other hens.
Even now, trying to put this into words has been hard to explain. I feel as if a switch within me was flipped that week; that's the only way I know to describe it. I almost heard God's voice say to me, "You are home. This is why I brought you and your family here." Our family placed membership at Otter Creek Church Of Christ on Valentine's Day. Pretty soon, we joined a life group and started making connections. I even stepped out of my box a few months later and in one night volunteered for both the Praise Team and the Vespers chanters. What's that all about?! I can't lie and say I love all of the new-fangled "Praise and Worship" music, but I'm starting to appreciate it for what it is. A couple of months after we placed membership, a new family placed membership; they have a child with Cerebral Palsy. At about the same time, another Otter Creek family was getting a diagnosis of autism for their three-year-old son. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to help these families. I still miss Antioch. I'll never forget the friends we left behind and all of the wonderful blessings we received there. But, the ache in my heart is gone. I finally feel peace and acceptance.
