I almost don’t have words for my feelings, for I am not sure I can summarize them perfectly. It’s almost like trying to explain Heaven, but on earth and that is exactly what I feel that I get to experience out here on Pigeon Roost.

From the moment we felt the longing in our hearts to move to Pigeon Roost, God had orchestrated everything so perfectly. His timing, His current plan, His future plans, all of it done so perfectly.

I have told you all before of the emptiness I have felt in times past at previous churches. It had nothing to do with the people personally rather what they wanted out of Church and what I wanted were very opposite things. I craved deep fellowship and I wanted to feel like I had finally found my kingdom family. Where I could grow in Christ and ask for help without judgement or abandonment. I wanted people to WANT to be together and I wouldn’t have to pull teeth to get them all there or to stay. Now, I believe with all my heart God places us in areas so we can learn, grow and learn recognize a good thing when we have it. That is why God placed us in the churches that He did, in the past. I learned very hard lessons. Some where I had completely messed up, over-stepped bounds, caused a riff or stayed quiet when I shouldn’t had. Some were lessons from ones that I foolishly thought would never turn their backs on me. In the moment, I braced those lessons, prayed thru them and never forgot them. Those lessons are what made me who I am today. Those lessons made me realize what my soul craved and needed and I spent years crying, praying, begging for those fulfillments and getting angry when I thought God didn’t want me to have those things. And that I could not understand, because all these other Pastor wives seemed to fit right in with her flock and they let her serve them and they served her, they fellowshipped, prayed, cried and laughed together. And all I wanted was that kind of community to be with. It wasn’t anti-biblical, so why was God not answering?

Because it wasn’t His time, yet.

I can sit in this rocker, on my porch and feel the fulfillment, contentment and abundant thankfulness I have for our church, for every single soul that graces the doors of the House of Welcome. I can sit here and thank God for the things I now have that I used to beg and plead for. I can also look back and recognize why His timing is so perfect. Our time together in church and in fellowship renews my lonely soul. Dustin and I, as he mentioned yesterday morning are never apart. We have many conversations throughout the week regarding our faith and swapping favorite sermons that we have listened to or just coming to each other for scripture insight. The kids love playing Bible trivia and having Dus or myself calling out random books of the Bible to see who can get there first. Last night the kids actually dubbed me the “BBL” for “Big Bible Lady” which made me chuckle, but I told them I’d rather be known as the Bible nerd than a BBL 🫣 (and I did win last nights trivia round by the way 😂). So I do get soul fed at home with my spouse, children and my quiet time with God alone, but our time together at church just makes it all complete.

So this is my thank-you to you all. For loving me, letting me serve, letting me be myself and edifying my spirit. I will never cease to give thanks for you all, for God’s precious timing, His grace to me and for satisfying my thirsting soul. What a good, good God we serve.

Love you all,

Elizabeth Grace.