what I GET TO DO.....

Last week, I had someone state to me, "Mary, I know you are so religious; and so, you are probably going to hate me for this, but I am going to skip church this Sunday."

This statement immediately struck a nerve.  I began to wonder is that really the image that I portray to people?  Then I realized why the simple statement was not what I wanted to hear.  Church is not a place I go on Sunday, because I think it makes God happy --- that is just going to church to check something off your Sunday to-do list does not make God give you extra brownie points.  I get to the Ridge around 7:30 AM every Sunday and leave close to 2 PM.  People think I'm crazy, but THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE I would rather be on Sunday morning.  The butterflies in my stomach and the skip in my heart as I pull onto 811 on Sunday mornings demonstrates just how happy I am that I get to go to a place where I can worship God.  I can serve God!!  I get to spend time with my Cradle family for 2 services sharing my heart, learning about their hearts, and loving some amazing children, because I get to :)  I get to spend 3rd service either serving God in the technical realm or spending time in worship as a participant in the Big Room.  What a gift! :)  These are things I GET TO DO.  God has given me the heart to love Him and love others and to love time in worship of Him.  I come home on Sundays having gone to church, but church is not just a building where I sing and pray.  Church is a group of people who are teaching me to love God, who are checking up on me Sunday-Saturday, who are pushing me to further my obedience to God.  Church is not a place I love, church is a group of people I love. 

So, while it personally pains me to not "attend" church on Sundays, because I feel like I am missing out on some great lessons that God wants to teach me, it does not mean I (by any means) frown upon not attending church every Sunday.  Today, I found myself praying for this person.  I prayed that their relationship with God would grow by great amounts.  I prayed that they would see the love that God has shown me in the people that I consider church.  I prayed that I could exemplify church to this person and to so many others!  What a radical transformation God is making in me :)  That nerve is no longer being plucked by this comment, instead I am seeing what God has given me and wants me to show others!