Everyday Miracles – THE church

We moved into the house and the work began. Several years ago I had attended a church where I actually FELT God for the first time in my life. The feeling actually scared me and life got in the way of my journey. Yet while we were planning the move, I wanted to go back to this church very badly. The first Sunday came and I was too tired to get up. I was upset but planned to go next week. Repeat for three weeks the pattern of wanting to go but being too tired. The fourth Saturday we were here there is a knock on the door and I look and this insanely LARGE sheepdog, a woman and a red-headed teenager. Right away I recognize the red-head as one of the daughter’s of a couple whose home I had attended a bible study at a few years ago. After a brief re-cap of who she was, I was handed a flier about a new church on my street, just 4 streets away. I agreed to try the church. I had to work the next Sunday morning but Sunday night I went, with my two teenagers and they loved it. The ironic part is I was up VERY late Saturday, went to work but still managed to not be too tired Sunday evening. We were welcomed with opened arms. Sad to say I felt not much at the church that day but decided to keep going for my kids’ sake. The following Sunday morning we went and I had high hopes. I wanted to feel God again. I have issues I guess you could say. I have issues trusting people and opening up. I have this tough shell that I let people see and I think I was (and still am even though it is a process for me) literally blocking Jesus from working in me.  The first few weeks my children are why I attended church. Eventually I let go enough to experience God in the church and then in my life. I began praying again and actually working toward learning what Jesus is trying to tell me. The miracles within this church are many. Some would say coincidence but I know better. First of all, the couple who I knew, I actually trusted. I envied this couple. They love each other, you could see it and they have been married over 20 years. She home-schools all 5 of her children and has a love for Jesus that is contagious. She is bold in her faith and seems fearless. He has such a gentle grace about him, you just want to talk to him, he makes it easy. This couple had my respect when I first them years ago. My children LOVE this church. Now they would probably like almost any church that treated them well but this one is different. My 16 and 15 year old sons both willingly go to this church three times a week. If that isn’t a miracle with the way most teenagers are today then I don’t know what is. The Pastor and his wife of this church are also oddly easy to connect to. The Pastors wife makes it easy with her gentle yet exuberant love of the Lord. She is a nursing instructor at the local college (coincidence that I have wanted to be a nurse all my life?? NOT!). He is a big teddy bear of a man who has a past that can compete with mine. I swear sometimes this man knows what God is working on in my life and he helps. God has spoken to me several times the last few weeks on not being a closet Christian anymore. I have issues with praying out-loud, raising my hands during worship and doing much more than being selfish in church. He challenges me, intentionally I think. We have a car, not a van. Eight people do not fit in my car. The church and the Pastors houses are within walking distance. Coincidence? NOPE! God’s been busy in my life……….