On Becoming Orthodox for the Wrong Reason

I’m an Orthodox convert. During my time in the church, I’ve heard many conversion stories and listened to countless people share their reasons for coming to the faith. So far, none of them have echoed my own. People have told me that they came for the theology, or the depth and beauty that was missing in their former church, or that they simply walked in off the street and experienced the Liturgy once and decided to stay. My conversion story? I married into it. 

That’s right, I married an Orthodox man and decided to become Orthodox because I believed that husbands and wives should attend the same church. I had never heard of Orthodoxy before I met him, and it was completely foreign to me. The Liturgy was rather confusing and strange, and I didn’t know what to do with my hands. Despite my lack of enthusiasm in those first six months or so, I stayed, if only on my husband’s behalf.