041814_Francine

What was your first time at Journey like?

I came to Journey for the first time through GriefShare after my husband died in 2011. He had a long illness – was supposed to live for 60 days and was sick for eight years. The leaders at GriefShare were so loving and welcoming and the group did good grief work sharing and bonding together. Someone once asked me, “What do you do at GriefShare?”

I looked him in the eye. “We cry.”

By the end of the 13 weeks, I knew that Journey was going to be my home church. By then I had sold our family home and moved into a cottage in La Mesa Village. I thought it would be good to see what was happening spiritually in my new neighborhood.

What is one decision that you know that God influenced?

When I was a new Journey-er, the call came for home group leaders. I heard the Lord whispering – “I want you to do this.”   I objected – “But I haven’t finished painting all the rooms in my house!”  Then I heard his shout – “It’s MY house.”  He insisted that I have a home group and it has been a weekly blessing to me in so many ways.

Have you taken a leap of faith?

My Leap of Faith has to do with finding provisions for my daily needs. I’ve applied for 180 jobs since my husband died. After a long, successful career, it’s been hard to depend on county services, the Journey food bank, and the prompting of God to others to pay my bills and provide for myself. But, of course, He is faithful and I’ve learned that I can do without so much that I used to enjoy and that I take pleasure in things of the spirit instead of things of this earth.  It’s a Leap and I’m still mid-air looking down with nothing underneath.  But through the emptiness I can see the outline of Jesus’ hands forming a safety net underneath. I can hear Ed’s words, “He’s got this!”