A Blessed Mess

I'd invited my new friend to church. I wanted everything to be perfect. Nothing was

- By JACEY NELSON, Powell, Ohio

Church is one of my favorite places, but I sure was nervous going that Sunday two years ago. My husband couldn't make it that morning; otherwise, he would have squeezed my hand to reassure me. I had invited my new friend Chelsy—someone I'd met only a few months earlier—and her two elementary-aged children, Olivia and Landon, to attend our church in Dublin, Ohio, and I wanted everything to be perfect.

Olivia and my daughter, Evelyn, were in the same kindergarten class and had performed in the school talent show together. While our girls had been practicing for the show, Chelsy and I had gotten to know each other. She'd shared that she was going through a divorce. Even though we'd talked just a handful of times, my heart ached for her. I knew the situation must be incredibly hard for her and her children. I wasn't sure if Chelsy already belonged to a church, but I felt a strong nudge to invite her to ours. I hoped it might provide her with stability and a sense of community during a difficult season.

That Sunday morning, our church was hosting a pancake breakfast before the service to welcome any newcomers, and I was eager to make sure everything went just right. Remembering the long lines from the previous breakfast, I'd purposely told Chelsy to arrive 15 minutes late so we could skip the waiting. Evelyn and Olivia were excited to see each other, and my eight-year-old, Tristan, immediately struck up a conversation with Chelsy's 10-year-old son, Landon.