Lost & Found

No one knows you. The language slows you… The things you brought from home. Look back at you; out of place here. They take on a lonely power.*

Lost

We find several stories about being lost in the Bible including the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son, all found in Luke 15. One lost by nature, one by accident, one by poor choices. These are often told as stories for children, but it is so easy, as an adult, to find yourself feeling a bit lost in life. Feeling disconnected, isolated, without purpose.

I remember arriving in Guernsey and despite feeling sure this was the right place to be, I also had a sense of disorientation. I didn’t know where to find the most basic things and my inability to pronounce any of the places properly marked me out as an outsider.

A New Family

The best choice I made in those early days was to come along to church . You may not be able to instantly replicate long-standing friendships from other places, but you can instantly find yourself a new family as you step into church. I found such a warm welcome, the answers to some of my questions and a community where all held together by God’s love.

I also found that the words of the songs and prayers and what was spoken about in the talks helped build my faith, that I was in the right place and that God would lead me into this next chapter of life and help me when everything felt so new.

Belonging

Reflecting on the last two years since those early days, I can see that being part of the church family here has helped me find a new sense of purpose as I help out in different ways. Whether working in the office or serving in the café, I love having the opportunity to extend to everyone who steps through the door the same welcome I received, through joining a homegroup I am getting to know a lovely group of people more deeply as we work through the highs and lows of life together and friendships are deepening. I’m still working on the pronunciation of some places and names… I’m a work in progress!

Gradually, you will come to find your way to friends who will open doors into new belonging. Your heart will brighten with new discovery, your presence will unclench and find ease, letting your substance and promise be seen. 

Slowly, a new world will open for you. The eyes of your heart, refined by this desert time, will be free to see and celebrate the new life for which you sacrificed so much.*

Next Steps

If you relate to that sense of 'lost-ness', do come and find a place of welcome at Trinity. Perhaps visit our First Steps page to find out more.

You can chat to any member of the staff team. You can fill in a card or message us through the website to ask us to help you find a small group to join or a way you can discover and use your gifts to bless our community and find a sense of purpose and belonging.

*John O’Donohue (2007) “Benedictus: A Book of Blessings”. Bantam Press.