I Am A Church Member. YAY!
What an incredible Sunday! I'm officially a member of my church.
Words fail me when I try to describe how it felt. Remember when I wrote the post, What An Incredible Weekend? This past Sunday was a bit like that, but with an even deeper sense of peace and joy.
The hardest part was standing in front of the entire congregation. Honestly, it felt as though there were fewer people there than usual. I know our Sunday school class seemed to have a lighter attendance that morning.
First, our pastor, also known as "Mister Moderator", announced that there was church business to handle and called the meeting to order. Then all eight membership candidates were invited to the front of the sanctuary. As each name was announced, we smiled, nodded, and waved to the congregation. Afterward, the Senior Pastor ushered us into the hallway while the vote took place. The eight of us stood there chatting and joking around for a few minutes. Before we knew it, we were called back in and informed that we had officially been accepted as members!
Of the eight candidates, only two of us chose to say a few words. It had been suggested by the elders and pastors, but it certainly wasn't required. I was especially grateful that the microphone wasn't turned on! Ha! And, God answered prayer because I didn’t want to stand in front of the church and talk about myself. In a small group setting I’m fine but fear creeps in when I face a large audience. I kept my remarks short and simple. I thanked the church for being so welcoming when I first started attending and shared that I was looking forward to serving alongside them.
Now, I can jump into serving through the ministries God has chosen for me. Life is so sweet right now, even in the midst of trials.
In John 16, Jesus tells us…
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
We all have trials to face. It’s why we should never assume that someone has an easy life because we see that they have a great house, cars, money etc. Simply put, we do not know what goes on behind closed doors. People struggle with addictions, mental health issues, relationship problems and so much more. Our place is to extend love, compassion and a desire to listen if they choose to share.
Last night, I started Bible study with a family member. While it didn’t go the way I thought it would it was a solid start and we’re meeting up next Thursday to continue. She’s near and dear to my heart, and I think of her like a daughter. God revealed a lot in that 90 minutes over coffee and dessert. I feel unequipped but that’s one of the cool things about God.
He equips you. He gives you direction. There was a time in my life, when I thought I was somehow broken because I didn’t “hear” His direction. Turns out, I only needed to continue trusting Him and making a conscious effort to read my Bible every day.
At first, I read a daily devotional and stuck with it. Then I wanted more so I started using the Through the Word app. Ten minutes a day turned into an hour a day. Now, there are days when I totally lose track of time and spend 3-4 hours reading and studying God’s Word. When you come to God with a teachable heart and mind, He’ll teach you. He’ll give you understanding. He’ll help you discern His will for your life. Trust me, it’s a good thing.
My prayer for each person I’m meeting with is that they would trust God, lean into His Word because the more they lean, the more He’ll reveal.
This week I’ve spent a lot of time working on the non-profit website for a friend. I’m thankful to say that it’s ready to launch and I’m happy that I could help out a friend.
What I thought was going to be a quiet weekend has become one with events and projects that filled up my day planner. There’s still hope I’ll find time to pour some mortar mix into molds to make faux “stones”. Once they cure, I can paint and seal them. I’m looking forward to that project so much. My nephew asked me to crochet some wash cloths for him. The ones I made a decade ago are finally wearing out. Time to order some cotton and pick up a crochet hook again.
This week among all the blessings I count, I’m thanking God that my foot has healed completely! When I woke up Sunday morning, the ball of my left foot was sore and my toes felt slightly swollen. It wasn’t bad and I was able to walk so I went to church without giving it another thought. After church I stopped by Hubby’s favorite hoagie shop and picked up lunch since it was Father’s Day. There was nagging pain but nothing that caused alarm. By the time I had settled in and finished lunch, I was unable to put any weight on the foot. It was so swollen it looked bruised and I was in a lot of pain. Being the stubborn old fool that I am, I refused to go to the ER when Hubby suggested it and instead took Ibuprofen and applied an ice pack. We couldn’t figure out what could have caused the problem.
When I woke up Monday, the pain was gone! The swelling had gone down significantly and I could walk around easily.
Life is weird when you get older. I feel like I’m becoming that grandmother that talks about the aches and pains in every conversation. I hope not, but I know I talked about this foot thing to at least three people over two days and that doesn’t include my poor husband.
I did manage to start a little project this week. I started painting a couple wood lemons that have been hanging around the craft supply stash for too long. I primed them and then added the first coat of Sunny Yellow. It should be a quick project and I can’t wait to add them to my lemon themed kitchen.
That’s all for now. Life remains quiet and slow which is such a wonderful thing to have.
Peace,
B
