A year ago, I had to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life, and I was devastated doing so. Yet after making it, I felt a lightness in my heart and knew deep down that it was the right choice, as I had the peace of God.
Before coming to Re:Hope, I had only ever called one other church home, where I grew up and served for 20 years. Being deeply involved there came with challenges, but I never imagined I could be hurt so deeply that leaving was my only option. Moving churches was a bold step in my faith, requiring complete trust in the Lord. I struggled with leaving the way I did, but I realised forgiving others didn’t mean I needed to stay in an environment that was no longer loving — as love is patient, kind, and does not dishonour others. Staying there whilst feeling broken only distanced me from God; I was serving others rather than Him and subjecting myself to more hurt. I left trusting that God would guide me to a place where I could heal.
For a while, I lost trust in church communities altogether. I felt betrayed and deeply hurt by a place I had devoted my life to. My anger was misplaced, and my relationship with God strained. Unknowingly, I had elevated my previous church to the same level as Christ and as a result was hurt. I felt isolated and abandoned by those I considered family. Realising this was hard and required me to reassess my relationship with God. I knew that such a loving God wasn't the cause for the pain that I felt, and the shortcomings of the church weren’t a reflection of Him but rather people. I trusted that God works all things for good and stepped out in faith, knowing that I would be able to forgive those who hurt me and that God would take me somewhere to form real loving relationships with others, instead of staying in a place with fear.
When I first came to Re:Hope, the Lord used that time to heal and realign my focus back on Him. Gradually, He softened my heart and helped me place my hope back in Him rather than people. This gave me the courage to join a Bible Read Through Group at church. The thought of forming new relationships after being hurt was terrifying, but I knew God wanted me to be part of a community again. The girls in my group welcomed me with open arms, showing love and grace despite not knowing the full story of why I left my previous church.
Reflecting on the last year, I see how gracious and kind the Lord has been. He blessed me with new friendships and brought me to a place where I’m ready to serve again. The courage to rejoin a community came from God alone, and this verse became a constant reminder of His goodness:
Isaiah 43:19: “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.”
Neha Jose
Re:Hope Southside
What sticks out to you from this story? A new beginning? Healing? Forgiveness? Realigned focus? Use this to prompt your prayers today.
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