Saved, A Contribution to What Remains
/Saved
A Contribution to What Remains
She was a child in a crowded living room church, tambourines jangling, voices rising until the air itself felt holy. She rolled across the floor, convulsing with something larger than herself, not knowing if it was real this time or just another attempt to belong.
In that moment, she was lifted… by hands, by chants, by something unseen. And for the first time, she didn’t have to pretend.
Faith, for her, wasn’t tidy or predictable. It was a rush of sound and spirit, the weight of neighbors’ hands, the sweetness of cake on the porch afterward. What remains is the memory that salvation wasn’t just claimed in words, it was carried by community, and felt in her bones.
— Shared by Maria, a friend of the series
This reflection is a retelling drawn from Maria’s longer story, Saved. She generously offered it for the series, and I wanted to honor her voice by sharing it as she named it. It’s a vivid account of childhood, church, and the moment faith became more than imitation. What remains here is the power of community, spirit, and the ways we are carried when we can’t carry ourselves.
You can read the full story in all its depth here: Saved