Behind The Pews

Author’s Note

There was a time I thought silence was strength. I believed that if I just prayed harder, served more, and stayed busy, the pain would fade on its own. But God has a way of sitting with us in what we try to hide.

I started writing this book because I got tired of pretending that faith meant feeling fine. It doesn’t.

Faith means showing up — even when you’re trembling, even when you’re unsure if you’ll be

believed or understood.

For me, church has always been a sacred place, but also a complicated one. I’ve experienced both

healing and heartbreak in the same pews. I’ve trusted people who turned away when I needed them

most. And yet, I’ve also seen glimpses of God’s tenderness through the few who stayed, who

listened, who didn’t rush me to “move on.”

If you’ve ever sat in a church and felt unseen, this is for you.

If you’ve ever tried to tell your story and it wasn’t received with care, this is for you.

If you’ve wondered how to trust again — in people, in community, even in God — this is for you

too.

Writing these words has been part of my own healing.

Ipray reading them might be part of yours.