Use This to Understand God’s Character and Love Without Being Alone
A Childhood Without God-Centered Parents
Growing up, my immediate family was not religious–Christian or otherwise.
We never attended church. (Not even the big church holidays such as Easter or Christmas.)
Nor did my parents ever talk about God. (Other than to sometimes say things such as, “God helps those who help themselves.”)
In fact, religion in general was never even a topic of focus.
Looking back, this was due to two things:
The general region where we lived–which was also where my parents grew up. (More on that in a moment.)
And the religious legacy–or lack thereof–from my grandparents
On My Mother’s Side:
My maternal grandfather had died before I was born, so there was only my grandmother.
As I grew older, I learned that my grandparents were technically Catholic.
However, my living grandmother only occasionally attended Mass. Looking back, it’s also clear that she did not have a personal relationship with God. It was truly only about religion.
As a child herself, my mother had attended Catholic school. From what little she shared, the experience was not a positive one. I remember her talking about how strict the nuns were, and getting rapped on the hands with a ruler for the slightest infractions. (This being back in the days when that was permissible.)
Between the nuns, an abusive father (my grandfather had been an abusive alcoholic), and a mother who was very harsh and critical, my mother had learned that God and Catholicism were things to stay away from.
On My Father’s Side:
Growing up, both of my paternal grandparents were alive.
Unlike my mother’s side of the family, they weren’t Catholic. Likely Protestant, though I can’t say for sure. (I can’t recall them mentioning a specific church or denomination, though such a thing may just be lost to memory.)
However, like my mother’s family, there seemed to be a religious focus versus a personal relationship with God.
In the trailer where my paternal grandparents lived, there was a large artwork of Jesus in the living area. It was a dark, dreary work. No colors but black, brown, gold, and whatever the artist used for Jesus’ skin color.
It was a common image of Jesus sitting at a table, hands clasped, looking upward (to God the Father, one supposes).
I also remember my grandparents praying before meals.
However, that was about the extent of things. God was someone who was occasionally included in their lives in a religious way - not in a deeply relational way.
My Family:
Because of this legacy (or lack thereof) in my family - my mother, father, two younger sisters, and myself - God didn’t have any part in our lives.
A Geographical Region Without a True Biblical Focus
I grew up in a geographical area that was teeming with religion.
When I use the word “religion” in this post, I’m referring to the biblical definition where instead of accepting God’s free gift of Jesus and freedom from sin and eternal separation from God, and then doing works as a natural response to God’s love and the personal relationship one has with Him, religion rejects (and often minimizes) who God is and then crafts all of these so-called rules that need to be adhered to.
This is why Jesus was so upset with the Pharisees.
The law was there to help support and provide and care for God’s people. But the Pharisees added to God’s law and turned the law into a burden that was crushing the souls and lives of the people.
And by doing this, the very group who were supposed to care for the people and point them to God was, in fact, making decisions as if they were God while essentially pushing His desires aside and making it seem like God’s character was different than it actually was.
For example, that God wasn’t as caring or desired to be unkind or unnecessarily strict.
Such was the case where I grew up–and then later lived as an adult after my divorce.
The greater area had both a Catholic and Christian presence. Yet somehow, that entire region had predominately turned into a place of religion.
Even when you walked into a Christian church that was supposedly God-focused, there was a definite lack of biblical truth; of Jesus; and of the things one needs to really know God and grow a personal relationship with Him.
I know this because, as I became a teenager, I went to youth group with one of my childhood friends. (Two of my childhood friends came from Christian families.)
But even for them, God had to step into their lives using other people and resources so that they could see Him for who He really was and go from being stuck in weighty religion to a free and healthy relationship with Him.
For my two friends, this happened around age 18.
For me, it happened in my early 20s after I was married.
Despite God trying to get my attention earlier in my teenage years, I rejected Him because, seeing Him through the lens of the region, I felt Christianity was out of touch with the times and therefore not something that would be helpful to my life.
Later when I was married, I was living in another state and a member of the local church that God had directed me to join.
Yet, the same challenges existed.
And in order for God to feed me the biblical knowledge that I needed, I started listening to the weekly sermons of the church one of my Christian childhood friends was attending all the way on the other side of the country.
By the way, what’s sad is that the region where I grew up…it’s still the same. I was doing some God-lead research earlier this year in preparation for niching down the podcast, and one of the women God sent me to interview lives in that area. Talking to her was like going back in time!
She talked about how difficult it is to find a truly biblical and God-centered church, and how she’s had to train herself to constantly filter what’s being preached or told to her against the biblical truth she’s gained. Because she doesn’t want to find herself off-track. (Just sounds exhausting, right?)
The Community You’ve Been Desiring: Relate Escape Place
I completely get where you’re coming from.
Sure, our stories are different. For example, maybe you were raised in a home that claimed to follow God–but it wasn’t the biblical God.
But the same challenge exists. The need for the right community because, up until now, you’ve been surrounded by the wrong one.
Like with me in my teens, God is wooing your heart. He’s softly calling you to Him despite the challenges of where you are.
BUT - you don’t have to go at it alone like I did.
Why? Because God has led me to create the community you need!
The Community You Can Count On: Relate Escape Place
Relate Escape Place will equip you with genuine biblical knowledge.
There are already three mini courses inside with more to come.
There’s also a tool kit collection with fun and practical third-party resources - some of them free! - to help you grow in biblical knowledge and connect more deeply with God.
Community is at the heart of Relate Escape Place, and its AI features make it easy to connect, support, and bond with other members.
After filling out your profile, the platform will continuously suggest other women who share the same interests and traits.
Never sure what to say to break the ice? Use the AI to generate ideas for an opening DM.
Additionally, the community features specific chat threads to keep things focused and organized—especially when you need help.
Each mini course has its own dedicated thread, so you can ask questions without them getting lost.
There’s also a global Prayer Requests thread to make supporting each other easy and timely.
But more importantly, you will be in a truly God-centered community with other women who naturally want to support you as you learn more about God and grow in your relationship with Him.
No one pressuring you to conform; to be perfect; to feed the lie that you’re not “good enough.” No more confusion–only clarity. No more pressure–only freedom and love.
So friend, I want you to join right now!