They Focused on God
Yvette’s Yearning
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Going to church regularly as a family was not something that was highly stressed in my household as a child, but I often remember my parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents talking about the power of God and how He is the only one we can always turn to. With this in mind, I often attended church with my friends and tried to keep God as the center of my life. Did I attend church every Sunday? No, but I tried to go as much as I could. The point when I really got connected was in college when I found a great church with a preacher that I felt inspired by. The church was full of young people so the pastor often preached about relationships and things college students go through. When speaking about relationships, he would share about couples that have experience great hardship, but everything worked out when they turned to God…together. With that in mind, I realized that when I got into a serious relationship, I would to be with a God fearing man, or at least someone who was open to learning more about the Lord and developing a relationship with Him.
Robert’s Reluctance
Growing up I wasn’t too much involved in church. In fact, I rarely attended. I remember being awakened by my mom early Sunday morning. “Get up! We’re going to church.” My response? “Nahhh I ain’t going to church!” This was during my college breaks when I would come back home for a few weeks or so. In my eyes, it was too late. Why would I start going to church now when I’ve spent the past 18+ years of my life catching extra Zzzzs on Sundays? I mean I did attend Catholic school from 6th grade through High School so I’m well versed on “religiousness” (is that even a word), right?
When I did go to a service, I remember wearing my Sundays best {side note: If you don’t know the origin of that phrase, do your research}. There was a lot of gospel singing, people dancing in the aisles because they caught the “holy ghost”, and it always ended with a bunch of people standing at the front of the pulpit waiting for people to join or whatever they end up doing when they go in the back. It just wasn’t fun to me and the opportunity cost had low value. As a result, going to church wasn’t something that was very important to me. I figured that I lived a good life and I prayed every now and then (mostly when I needed a miracle, but prayed nonetheless). This sentiment is something I carried for a long time. I didn’t even flirt with the thought of thinking different until I met Yvette.
A Couple That Prays Together…
When they first began dating they did not attend church together. Yvette went to church pretty regularly but it wasn’t until about 2 years into the relationship that they began having discussions about God and the importance of having a relationship with Him. When those conversations started, Robert began joining Yvette at church, but not regularly as God was not yet in the center of their relationship. Rob was still set in his ways and pretty uncomfortable about being publicly vulnerable, at least in church. About a month after relocating to Charlotte, Yvette began attending Elevation Church and rebuilding her relationship with God. Once again, she did this alone. About 6 months after moving to Charlotte, the couple was going through a very rough time in their relationship because they allowed the various struggles of relocation and everyday stress to affect their interaction. During this time, they both knew that something needed to change. It seemed like they tried every option to make it work with no avail. Then one day, Yvette suggested that they build a strong foundation based off God. Rob figured they had nothing to lose and committed to attending church on a regular basis. Since that day they began attending Elevation Church together…regularly. I mean really. They didn’t miss a Sunday for the first few months.
If you have ever heard of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC then you probably know that it is a very diverse church filled with people who are very passionate about what God can do “through” them. Attending this church together and putting God first has been one of the best decisions they have made as a couple. The church has an amazing worship team (which Robert LOVES) and is led by a phenomenal pastor named Steven Furtick. Going through the experience together of strengthening their relationships with God has helped them grow as a couple in various ways. For example, on several occasions when either Robert or Yvette has complained throughout the week about family or work, one person quickly reminds the other of a point Pastor Steven made during a sermon. Prior to attending church together, in a situation like this, they may have just agreed with each other which would lead to the both of them feeling aggravated and overwhelmed.
The lessons that are taught each Sunday not only help them to have a better perspective about their daily stressors but also helps them to see each other in a new light. The weekly message, in a way, creates a healthy opportunity for a cleanse of whatever irrelevant and insignificant issues they may have thought were a barrier to their growth the week prior. By attending church together and putting God first in their relationship, Yvette and Robert are truly beginning to understand the meaning of the phrase “a couple that prays together”…ya’ll know the rest.
