The title sounds quite official – and, in many ways, it is. But before you make any assumptions, I’d like to share what being a Retired Church Girl truly means to me…
To understand where I am today, I first need to take you back to where it all began. Both of my parents bent over backwards to ensure that their children grew up knowing and revering God – and they succeeded!
One thing I’ll always be grateful for is that they never approached Christianity through force or fear. Instead, they each played a unique, yet equally important, role in shaping our spiritual lives 🙌🏾
My mother introduced us to the life of the Church. She ensured we attended Sunday services faithfully and encouraged us to participate in church activities. As her children, attending church every Sunday wasn’t something we questioned – it was simply part of our way of life.
My father, on the other hand, taught us what it meant to live a God-fearing life beyond the walls of a church building. Much later, I learned that his own experiences with church had led him to stop attending altogether. That revelation completely surprised me because, growing up, I had never seen him attend church – not even once!
Thanks to my mother’s dedication, I grew into what many would call a committed ‘Church Girl’. I rarely missed a Sunday service, faithfully attended home-cell meetings, served in the teenagers’ ministry, and eventually became a ministry leader myself. And because I’ve always had a deep love for music, serving on the Worship Team became one of my greatest joys 🎶
Then, everything changed the year I survived the fatal car accident, which I discuss in My Testimony – this was the turning point of my life. Suddenly, everything I thought I knew was brought to a complete standstill. My only assignment became to rest, recover, and rebuild – not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually…
Looking back now, I can see that this season marked the beginning of a completely different relationship with faith – one that would eventually lead me to become the “Retired Church Girl” that I am today.
This story deserves far more than a single blog post, so I’ve decided to tell it as a three-part series. I hope you’ll join me next week as I continue sharing this deeply personal journey, but until then, I’d love to hear from you:
Has there ever been a season in your life that completely reshaped your faith, beliefs, or perspective on life?
Yours (but mine first),
Ow Aphsie ❤️😭🙏🏾, this got me… Firstly, I’m so sorry to learn of your mother’s passing. I think it got me cause growing up, church although pushed by both my parents but it was largely my beloved and beautiful late tata. And although he succeeded in helping me shape my own faith with time, I realised just how dependant I was on him even with my faith after his passing. I realised how I’d associated so many things and ways of living out my faith with him. Maybe it was just a grieving struggle. But it was so difficult to ‘get back on the bus’ again, I could hardly read my Bible nje cause I think of him and this sort of disappointment with God. Anyway I’m saying too much now without even having heard half your story. But even just this snippet was so special and very relatable for me. I cannot wait to read more of your story. Also I couldn’t click on the link for the accident story but maybe it’s just me so I’ll try again with another device.
❤️
NILA 🤗🥰 Thanks for having a read sis, and for your condolences 🙏🏾 Please receive mine for your father’s passing, I’m so glad you found blog-post relatable, I’ve fixed the link error – thanks for making me aware.
I hope you’ll find the sequel just as relatable, thank you again – stay safe❣️
Manila and Aphelele. I just want to say I love you both. I can not find the words to adequately express what reading this has made me feel. I just want you to know you are in my heart and prayers. Looking forward to the next post because it’s tough for me to on the church going front, while I am still in love with the Lord. Thank you for this blog Chonco. Blessings on Blessings on Blessings ♥️
🥰 PULANE 😍 Thank you so much for having a read chom, the fact that you can relate really encourages me – THANK YOU & God bless you too ❣️
Church has built an overall character for me, what I mean by that is I wouldn’t not want to do anything that God would not want me to do. Even though growing up and even now and then you fall into certain temptations but you fall back on the track. So I can say it has form base of how I live and raise my own kids. It’s not bad at all to grow up in church. But like you said it’s goes deeper😂
Oh yes – I appreciate growing in church & still love and serve the Lord 🙌🏾 You’re doing such a lovely thing by affording your children with such an enriching life experience – I’ll share more details about the depth next week 😅🙏🏾💋
Listen your story is exactly like mine. I grew up and served the church. It was all I knew until a life had it its way to prove me otherwise he he he. . . . . .🤣😤 But I guess we all have to find our own spirituality in the end. The road is ours and no one else’s.
LALELA: iSonto The Pandemic. Lol, on a serious note kodwa you’re so right & glad you could relate Sips 🙏🏾🖤