Luke Griego &
Maddey Brawner
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WHY we came back
I grew up in a home where church was something we only attended on Christmas and Easter. I was baptized as a kid, but I didn’t truly understand what it meant.
When I was old enough, I started going to youth group with my friends, but only because I wanted to get out of the house. I never paid attention to the messages and would have rather kept playing games than listened. As I got older, my relationship with Christianity and the church grew more distant.
During my freshman and sophomore years of high school, I was in an unhealthy relationship. At the time, I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me, but now I see that it made me believe God didn’t like me. I stayed in that relationship because I thought I deserved the way I was being treated and wasn’t worthy of real love.
Fast forward a few years, I met someone who showed me what real love looked like. Sadly, we broke up right before I went to college. I was heartbroken, lost, and confused. Moving to a new city and not knowing where I fit in was exhausting. But by the grace of God, He placed people in my life who invited me to church every week.
It was through those invitations that I started to learn about the character of God. I discovered that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die in my place. For the first time, I fell in love with Jesus. I experienced a peace and joy I had never known before—a peace and joy that hasn’t ended since.
I praise Him every day for giving my friends the courage to invite me to church and for choosing to save me. Me—a broken, sinful girl who didn’t even like Him. Now I know that He is a good and loving Father, my past does not define me, and He is always for me.
The man I broke up with before college also found Jesus. After months of conversation, we decided to get back together. The Lord redeemed us both and restored our relationship! He is the God of miracles and restoration. Today, I am incredibly blessed to call him my fiancé.
Every day, God continues to amaze me. All because of one invite and the courage to try church again, my life has been completely redeemed. Thank You, Jesus! If He can do it for me, He can do it for you. Try church again.
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