the visitor

I have been a visitor at Central a few times now, attending with a close friend. Like most people at Central, I come from a different denomination, yet the spirit is the same and I am always glad I came. On my last visit, I brought my smart, kind, and loving goddaughter who recently graduated from an Ivy League university and was being prayerful about a career interest very different from her degree in engineering. For weeks, we had been church hopping, listening to different sermons, learning about different ministries, and enjoying the diversity of church experiences. Our visit to Central did not disappoint, being there that day was blessing.

The service is unique in many ways, appealing and meaningful to a young person with their entire world ahead of them as well as to people in the congregation just back on their feet after a major loss. At the end, my goddaughter told us that she could hardly keep from tearing up throughout the entire service. As one of the primary supporters of her faith development, it was moving to see how touched she was by the service at Central.

This was also the Sunday when the pastor made the announcement that the purchase of the dorm from UTMB was final and the process of transforming it into transitional housing was underway. After the service, my close friend, goddaughter, and I were compelled to go and see the property. It was beautiful and the answer to so much suffering. Before leaving, we put our hands on the building and prayed together for all that God will create and do in that space. It was a good day.