# @hopewdm on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DFu3VO_MdPF
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/26485783-hopewdm-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/63955cc859.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-02-06T13:00:21.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** HOPE (@HopeWDM) — https://gondola.cc/HopeWDM

## Caption

I grew up in a loving home, attended church, and became a Christian early. When I moved to Des Moines in 1989, I looked for a church and found one similar to where I grew up. I joined the choir, the women’s group, and a Bible study. I made friends and was elected to the board. But something was missing.
 
That’s when my friend Susan invited me to Hope. She asked me seven times before I agreed. Hope was still at the building on Ashworth, and that small building was very crowded the Sunday I visited! Hope intrigued me enough that I thought I would try it again. Little did I know being intrigued was God’s way of saying he could be much MORE than I was letting him be.
 
When I was little, I kept God in a “Sunday Only” box. Now at Hope, I was hearing God wanted a daily relationship with me. I had been so busy doing good things for good reasons, but always with a distance between God and me. I was doing things FOR God. I never considered asking God to do things THROUGH me. How on earth did I do that?
 
Then one Sunday, Pastor Mike challenged us to “attend one, serve one” service. The Production Team was looking for volunteers, and I thought I could help—I used PowerPoint and a computer at work, after all. But I still hadn’t figured out how to let God do his work THROUGH me, instead of doing work FOR God.
 
Then, I learned about the Holy Spirit. The pastors at Hope actually preached about the Holy Spirit. Alpha taught about the Holy Spirit. The Prayer Team prayed for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was God with us right here, right now, every moment. That was what I had been missing!
 
Once I let the Holy Spirit into my life, I truly understood the verse, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” I am glad to get up at 5:30 am each Sunday to serve on the Production Team (I am not a morning person, so I do this only for you, Lord)!
 
It has been 25 years since I started attending Hope and volunteering on the Production Team. Next time you hear Pastor Mike say, “Next slide, Mary,” look up at the windows at the top of the center field bleachers and I’ll wave. 
 
Next Slide Mary
#HopeStories

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## Tags

hopestories

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