This is more of a personal “journal” note this morning. But since I promised to be “The Real Me” awhile back, I’m doing exactly that today!

My sister Karen reminded me recently that when your vocation involves working at a church or within a church organization, that tends to be the majority of your world. Even though you may reach out to your community and be involved in your community, your life is wrapped up in church—you work there Monday-Friday (and often Saturday for some), attend church there on Sunday, have small group activities there throughout weekday evenings, and form the majority of your friendship and fellowship circles there.

If my friend who works at the hospital were to lose her job, her place of worship and the majority of her fellowship circles would not change. However, when you are no longer an employee of the church, the nature of which means you will need to find a new church to attend (and the reason for which varies between individuals), you have lost more than just a place to worship on Sundays.

What happens after that depends on your response. . .and you get to choose what that response will be. You cannot choose what the responses of others will be, nor are you responsible for their responses. You are only responsible for obeying God’s commands to live for Him, no matter what. But regardless of your choices, your world still changes.

I have recently found myself in the situation of no longer working in a church setting, and I am take a step this morning to form some new connections. There is a ladies’ summer Bible study that starts this morning at the church I’ve been attending, and I find myself both excited and nervous.

For the last three months, I’ve arrived at church shortly before it begins, actively participated in the worship services through singing, praying, and listening to what God had been teaching me through the message of the morning, and then I’ve greeted my pastor and headed on home. Because of my desire to just listen and learn up to this point, it has been the choice I have made (and prayed about often).

But I’m ready to take the next step as I keep moving forward. So here I go, taking a step. Then another. Then another.

Some of you may read this and say “Shame on you, that’s not like you. You generally jump in with both feet and plunge yourself wholly into whatever you do.” True that. However, when a soul has been wounded (NOT destroyed!), it’s almost like when a body part has been wounded. Let me explain.

A runner doesn’t do a marathon after getting the cast off of her broken leg. No, she goes through “rehab,” strengthening the wounded body part and receiving the needed help from those who are experienced in the rehabilitation process. If the runner were to compete without taking the proper time to “heal,” she would undoubtedly risk even greater injury.

The same is true in this case for me. So today, I take the next step in my “fellowship rehab.” And my soul will be strengthened.

With regard to “healing,” I have chosen to apply a phrase my sister Marcia wisely stated recently (regarding something else, but I have applied it to this): “It’s a process, not an event.”

But I’m still a little nervous. 🙂

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Thank you for taking time to read “It’s a Process.” What advice do you have for someone ready to get involved with your fellowship groups? What steps do you take to welcome new people entering your fellowship group?