A note to Awakening Church on our anniversary:
Awakening Church, I cannot believe we have been together for a year. Well, longer if you include the time when I was just checking you out and you were just a dream… our flirting phase before we made our relationship Facebook official. In any case, it’s been 365 days of “Us” by the official time stamps. It’s almost unbelievable—one year seems so long and at the same time so short.
Every week I find myself feeling more grateful to have found you and to be doing life with you. I hardly remember what life was like before you; but when I do, I realize the timing of our relationship could not have been better. When I was searching for a home, you helped me make one. When I was unsure how to be the person I was meant to be and to do the things I was meant to do—you gave me a chance to find out. Just for fun, I got to brew tons of coffee and make fancy, hand-lettered chalkboard art. More seriously, I got to write and to teach— and being able to do what I love and what I’m good at with you means more to me than I could ever say. This year with you has filled my life with big dreams, wonderful family, and amazing tacos. One thing I know about us is we will always agree on the importance and necessity of tacos. I also know that we have helped each other grow into better versions of ourselves. And my time with you has helped me better understand who God is calling me to be.
But of all the things I could say to you on our anniversary, the one thing I really want to say is this:
I LOVE YOU.
I don’t want to get sentimental and stuff, but I mean it. I love you, Awakening Church. And when I say “I love you,” I mean I will be patient with you when things get crazy (because things are going to get crazy). I mean I will be kind to you—even in those few moments when I might want to complain about you instead. I will put your needs above mine, and I won’t hold any grudges against you. When I say “I love you,” I mean I trust you, I want good things for you, I am with you, and I am all in. And I just like hanging out with you. I think you’re pretty great.
I need you to know that I love you because, honestly, our life together isn’t always easy. I admit sometimes I get lost in the hard work of set-up and tear-down or in wanting the little details to be absolutely perfect; I admit sometimes I lose sight of the big picture of “Us.” But, here’s the thing: I love you, Awakening Church. And I’m going to hang onto God—the one thing lasting and true—knowing that God will hang on to the both of us as we move forward into this next year. God has big things in store for us, so let’s hang on together and see where we land.
Whatever this next year brings, I’m so glad we’re in it together.
With all my love,
Alicia McClintic
