For most of Louise’s life, she believed Jesus was real. But she didn’t follow him.
She grew up to Sunday school and was baptised young, but as she got older, life shifted. Her family stopped going to church, her nan passed away and slowly her faith faded into the background. She stopped reading her Bible. She stopped praying. And she stopped living the life God desired for her.
But even as she walked away, God never stopped pursuing her.
A couple of years ago, something changed. Out of nowhere, Louise felt a deep, undeniable yearning to know God again – to know Jesus for herself.
“For 40 something years I kept turning away but He never stopped knocking at my door,” says Louise. “I am forever grateful that my heart was not hardened.”
Looking back now, Louise can see God’s fingerprints across every trial she endured. Even in the hardest moments, she was never alone – Jesus carried her through. Those experiences shaped her, softened her and strengthened her. And the love she has encountered in Him still astonishes her: the love that led Jesus to die for everyone, even those who reject Him. A love that longs to know each one of us deeply.
It’s this same love that now compels Louise to love others. Every week, Louise volunteers at Wesley CityHeart – Wesley Mission’s inner-city congregation – where people from all walks of life gather to worship, share meals and find connections. For Louise, Wesley CityHeart is more than a church. It’s family.
“It’s a beautiful place to be,” Louise says, tears welling in her eyes. “There’s love here. It’s proper community. That’s why I keep coming here. I feel connected to everybody that goes here. There’s no facade you have to put on. And I get more out of it than what I can give.”
Louise is forever grateful for the way God pursued her, waited for her and welcomed her home. And every day, she is learning to love a little more like Jesus.
