I was at Central Church tonight and as usual the choir blows me away. As I sing along with them, for some reason, I am getting flashbacks of Living Waters Church where our family used to attend when we lived in Phoenix before May 2008. I used to sing in the worship group with my brother Genaro. As I sang tonight along with the choir, my heart ached and my eyes stung with tears as I realized how much I missed singing with my brother. I still sing at home & definitely in the car. But it just isn’t the same when you are up there on the stage, and you are blessed with this gift to bless others. I miss it. I really do. I miss the routine of going to practice Thursday nights before church. I miss Andrew messin’ around on drums and pretending that he’s this rock star or something. I miss Paul playing piano like he’s from another planet. I miss Mikey playing the guitar, and having that permanent smirk on his face when he plays. I miss Laura and her strange humor -that I totally get. I miss Genaro belting out his vocals and me wondering how it is he hasn’t been discovered. I miss Alin being the soundboard guy and being directly in front of me when I was up there singing. I miss walking over the volleyball sand court to get into the church building. I miss Youth Nights on Thursday nights. I miss Pastor Doru’s preaching. I miss my brother Francois’ preaching. I miss how close every one of the members were to each other. I miss how everyone came together to help my family when we were in need and at the lowest of lows in our lives. I miss hearing about everyone’s mission trips to Romania & Moldova. I miss being around people who were non-judgmental and loved you no matter what. I miss how everyone came to my ugly Christmas sweater parties wearing ugly Christmas sweaters. I miss everything and everyone in that church.
I’ve been asked many times why I live in Charlotte away from EVERYONE I know and love. I love everything about Charlotte except that those people are not here. And as much as I say I love it here, and I truly do, I hurt because I wish I could pick up everyone from Phoenix and move them here. Then life would be perfect. But life isn’t supposed to be perfect. I know that. I’ll have to accept that. I toy with the idea every now and then of “what if we moved back?” But I know that if we did, I’d be miserable again. I hate the desert. I just could not spend the rest of my life living in the desert.
Anyway, if anyone from Living Waters is reading this (you know who you are), know that I love you all, I miss you terribly, and I will NEVER forget you and what you’ve done in my family’s lives. But especially mine. Thank you.
by Caroline
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