A Change of Heart
When I first created this blog, I was going through a lot.
And I was in a really bad place — spiritually and emotionally.
The years of 2020–2022 were awful.
Our family home burned to the ground on January 11, 2020.
A month later, someone I thought was a lifelong friend turned his back on me very unexpectedly. And I spent more time crying over this lost friendship than I care to admit.
Then in March of 2020 the world shut down…and the rest of the year was a shit show.
The next year wasn’t much better. I was still so confused, upset, and depressed from this friendship that ended. I am forever grateful to my friends who listened to me talk about this guy for hours on end. They had every reason to turn their back on me because it took me forever to move on and get over it. I just needed to go through my own timeline, and these friends were so patient.
The world was still semi-shut down that year, and life just wasn’t the same as it was before the shut down…and I still wasn’t in a great place mentally and emotionally.
Then in February of 2022, I thought I was gifted with a friend who had gone through something similar to me with the same person I cried over all of 2020. We talked daily comparing our experiences with this guy, venting, crying, and trying to heal as best we could…and move on from him.
But this friendship became extremely toxic. There was jealousy, secrecy, and I still sometimes wonder if I was set up to look like a complete fool. If these two people (the guy and this girl I thought I befriended) just sat there and laughed at me. 🤷♀️
Eh, I can’t give it too much thought these days. That’s long in the past, and it doesn’t sting as much as it used to. It wasn’t until 2023 that I finally blocked these two people on social media…and I’ve felt so free ever since! 😁
I mention that because at the end of 2022, God knew I needed Him. That my heart needed Him. I felt restless and unsettled in life at that time after 3 years of drama around this guy I thought would be a lifelong friend. I was exhausted, but in those 3 years, I never thought to turn to God.
For whatever reason, that Christmas of 2022, my parents sat me down and asked if they could introduce me to the show The Chosen. My response to them was, “You mean that Jesus show Father talks about in every homily (when I’m home visiting) at mass?”
Get Nicole Staudt’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
They said yes, and that the show was really good. If I didn’t like it after a few episodes, I didn’t have to continue watching it. I, reluctantly, agreed, and they pressed ‘play’ on the TV.
Typing the above always brings tears to my eyes because this was truly God working through my parents. I don’t know why they wanted to show me The Chosen. I’ve never asked, but I have a feeling it was a God-nudge. He knew what I needed. He knew that my heart needed to be stirred. And by the end of episode 3, Jesus with the Little Children, I was hooked.
And it’s been a journey ever since over the past 3 years. A journey I’m grateful for. A journey I’ve loved. A journey of healing and so much peace and joy…even when life gets difficult.
I never quite understood what it meant to have a relationship with God and Jesus until these past few years of working on it. And it’s far from perfect — I’ll be the first to admit that — and I fail every single day, BUT…every single day, I show back up and ask God to continue working through me. And I’ve realized that it’s filling this restlessness in my heart that I was feeling for those 3 years…until The Chosen came into my life.
I love that show and could watch it on repeat. The characters, the acting, the storyline (I mean, it comes from great source material. 😆) — the show is cinematically beautiful. The Jesus in that show is the kind of Jesus I’d like to be friends with. That show made Him real to me, and I wanted to get to know Him more.
It was in 2023, after binge-watching seasons 1–3 of The Chosen, that I began going back to mass every week. Over time, I felt a desire to start getting involved at my church, and in the spring of 2024, that nudge became greater.
One day during mass, high schoolers from the youth group stood up in front of the church to talk about their Confirmation retreat. I remember thinking, “I’d love to work with the youth at church. I wonder how you do that?” Then a few months later, there was a blurb in the bulletin about needing volunteers for the youth group program for Confirmation prep. There was my answer to a prayer I didn’t realize I had fully asked. So I sent an email, and I’m now in my 2nd year of volunteering with the youth group. 😃
I lead a small group of girls and mentor them for 2 years to prepare them for their sacrament of Confirmation. It’s been a rewarding experience so far, and I adore the girls in my small group dearly. I’ve since become more involved with my church, attending the young adult group sessions, participating in the pathways to Christ experiences, and now I’m even going to be a table leader for a small group for one of these pathways. Leading adults will be another experience entirely.
Last weekend, I attended the SEEK conference in Denver, which is a conference for Catholics, to put it simply. We went together as a youth group, and being able to bond with more of the students in our youth group was a beautiful experience as well. It was evident God was moving at all the sessions, in the daily masses, and throughout the entire weekend. How neat it was to see so many Catholics all in one place, especially the youth and young adults in attendance.
All of this, just because of a TV show that stirred my heart. 💖
There is a revolution happening in our nation. People waking up and living in truth. People coming back to God. It’s incredible to see! I think The Chosen has played a role and led the way for other quality, biblically-based media to be released.
One of which is House of David. Wow…just wow. The actor who plays David is captivating. During Advent, I listened to a devotional series on the Hallow app all about the song O Come, O Come Emmanuel. This actor sang a verse of the song each day, and his voice is mesmerizing. I honestly cannot stop listening to it. It’s my favorite Advent song, and Michael’s version is the most beautiful one I’ve ever heard in my life. 😍
Listening to him sing in that series made me want to really begin watching House of David, and the show has not disappointed. As I’m typing this, I’m watching episode 8 of season 2, and I’m blown away by the epicness of this show. It’s large and beautiful and moving. I began this year starting the Bible from the beginning, and I cannot wait until I get into all the stories of David in the Bible…to see what the show featured and how they imagined it. And of course, to see what they added for the sake of the storyline.
I tell people this all the time when talking about The Chosen and it applies here, too — I don’t care what you believe, whether you’re Christian or not, but these shows are quality television. They’re fun, entertaining, dramatic, and will make you cry (in the best way). And it just might stir something in your heart, like it did with me, and bring you a little bit of happiness and peace.
Has anyone else watched The Chosen or House of David? I’d love to hear how these shows have impacted your life and stirred your heart. ❤️
