Before the week slips completely away…
As we head into the big Memorial Day weekend, you just might find yourselves eating some graduation cake and something or two cooked over the grill, putting flags on graves and gathering with friends and family for some fellowship.
Russ and I have a graduation and a double birthday celebration to look forward to…because some little dudes in our lives will be turning another year older…
So before all that merriment ensues, I wanted to share a little about our visit to City of Praise Church last Sunday.
Our church has begun a partnership with this congregation and quite a few of their members ventured out to visit us one weekend.
Russ and I were kind of touched that they would make the effort to worship with us, so we found a weekend where we could go there for their 11:00 service. We were joined by three other class members this past Sunday.
Pastor BJ told us we would be welcomed warmly and promised it would be a lively service.
He was right on both counts.
I have never been hugged so many times by so many people nor have I been so blessed.
I don’t just mean I felt blessed.
I mean THEY kept blessing me…just speaking blessing over me.
Then there was the pastor who in the midst of the worship songs admonished us to just focus on the Lord…whatever we brought in with us…leave at the door.
He said that over and over…
Leave it at the door…just leave it at the door…don’t bring it in with you today…just leave it at the door…..
because he must have realized some of us are slow to listen and there may have been a blonde lady in the third pew that needed to be told repeatedly to forget everything except how wonderful Jesus is.
Cause she finally did.
Finally forgot about the worries and the cares and the things I am always and forever asking Him to do and fix and take away and give.
And I just entered into praise about who He is <3
And they just kept inviting and welcoming the Holy Spirit and He most assuredly felt welcome because it was impossible to not sense His Presence among us.
The message was honest and powerful…about asking ourselves all the time…”Why do I do what I do?”
And how if it is for recognition or thanks or notoriety…well…that’s not the right answer.
We do what we do…I do what I do…because I love Jesus…and it is my joy…and my job….to serve Him.
We knew it would be a longer service than we are used to so when the pastor apologized to the ladies who were going to be setting up the bake sale in the back that he was ending early …
so they better get scooting to get the table set up…
I looked at my watch for the first time and realized we had been enveloped in this precious service for 1 hour and 58 minutes….
Apparently we were two minutes shy of the usual service time.
All in all….
Best.Day.Ever. <3