I grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Muskogee First United Methodist Church felt like a second home to me. Our youth group headed to Camp Egan in Tahlequah, Oklahoma every summer. The best part? The closing worship on the last night. We’d have awesome speakers and great music that left a lasting impression. One summer evening during closing worship, surrounded by nature’s beauty in the Tabernacle, I felt God’s presence in a powerful way. It was a life-changing moment when I truly felt God’s love embracing me.
The music and message felt personal, like they were just for me, marking one of my earliest experiences of feeling that close to God.
After that summer, I headed off to the University of Central Oklahoma, leaving behind everything familiar – family, friends, and my church community. I prayed to find another place where I could connect with God, seeking His presence.
I started church hopping with some of my college friends. We went to some really amazing churches, but I never found one that I thought fit me and my spiritual needs. Then, I got invited to St. Luke’s during the St. Luke’s on Broadway series. Walking into the Edmond Campus, I immediately knew this place was different. Everyone was friendly. I was a young girl looking for a church home, and everyone opened their arms to me so easily. As soon as worship started, I immediately felt God nudging me, as if He were saying, “This is it.” I remember feeling so overcome with emotion. I had the same feeling I had felt in the Tabernacle years earlier – the feeling of God’s arms wrapping around me, letting me know I had made it home.
These special moments remind me that God is always with me wherever I go. God hears our prayers. He knows our wants and our needs, and with time, God will always reveal His master plan. Most times, it’s better than we could’ve ever imagined. I hope that during this Lenten season, you get to experience the presence of God and that His love pours over you.
Madison Eckerson, Edmond Campus Director of Welcoming Ministries
