"My People"

Hey there, I’m Lilly, and welcome to my blog space, where I write pretty much anything that comes into my brain.

I’m 21 years old, gettin ready to get hitched and I work as a part time barista and part time general assistant at my church. 

I had this thought back at the beginning of December, but I forgot to write about it. So here I am. Writing about it. 

If you’ve known me for any length of time at all, you know that the more I hang around people, the more I pick up on their mannerisms and phrases. Well, I listen to the “That Sounds Fun” podcast with Annie F. Downs (which if you don’t, do yourself a favor and follow her podcast. Like now.) 

Well anyways, I feel like her and I are bff’s and she uses this phrase “my people” all the time to talk about, well, her people. 

And I had a moment a few weeks ago where I felt that.

I was running around during our Christmas dinner getting everything set up, helping the wonderful team we had set up all the food and make sure everything was organized, just doing my job. 

I told my team to go and eat, and after the prayer for dinner, everyone came into the foyer of our church and started grabbing their plates and food and desserts and herding their children to sit with them. And our church was packed. I mean I have never seen so many people in our church. 

And I had this moment by myself while I watched everyone grab their food where I thought, “Wow, these are my people. These wonderful, selfless, amazing, God-fearing people are my people.” And I’m tearing up just writing this. 

Here’s the thing, God did not have to bring me to this church. There’s lots of really amazing churches in Austin with great people, and I would’ve grown in those churches. But God wanted me at Northwest Fellowship because he knew that these would be my people. They would be my family. And that was kind of God to share these people with me. 

Let me just tell you about my people. My people will sacrifice time in service to serve in Kids or youth ministry. My people go out to 6th street once a month on a Friday to pray for people. And my people surround the hurting. And my people are a praying people. My people would drop anything to pray with you, right now. My people are selfless, kind, encouraging, wise and wonderful and God did not have to share them with me. 

But he did. 

And oh gosh, that was so kind. 

These people have taught me, challenged me, encouraged me and helped me grow. Sometimes I think about what I would even be doing if I had never found my church. I can’t imagine my life without my people. Who have only been “my people” for not even 4 years. 

I always end my blogs with “so to _____” 

So to my church family, 

Thank you. Thank you for allowing me to serve. Thank you for providing me space to make mistakes. Thank you for inviting me to be part of your family. Thank you for teaching me more about Jesus every day. Thank you for challenging me. It is a joy and an honor to serve at this house. It’s a joy and an honor to love your children, your students and you. Thank you for sharing your lives with me. 

With oodles and noodles of love, 

Lils.

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