Today we decided, spur of the moment, to drive back to our old church in Carrickfergus. I have been missing everybody there and hubby knows it so he actually suggested it.
That it was good to be back is an understatement. Our old church is a small but loving community and it welcomed us back in its midst immediately and unconditionally. It was wonderful to hear the older ladies saying sweet, heartfelt things like: “Welcome home!” and “You’ve been dearly missed!” Mind you, my own grannies died when I was young so these ladies have been the closest thing to the real thing for me. I have been to women’s weekends with them and I have grown to respect and appreciate their sharp sense of humour, honesty, love for God and genuineness.
How did it feel? Well, like home, like we belong there, like we never left. I haven’t experienced this sense of grace very often in my life. Not even when we visit our own families. It’s much more complicated than this actually because everybody seems to have moved on with their life and have little or no interest in making room for us in their hearts. Other things have taken over meanwhile…
So, let me conclude my musings from the other night on waiting by saying this: waiting and going back are not always bad things…Actually, it can be a very uplifting thing when you know that you’re going back to being wanted and loved. Because it’s not actually going backwards, it’s moving forward with your life knowing that your faith in the world has been restored!

Loving friends!