Pre-kids, I used to watch children run all over the place in church and swear up and down that I wouldn’t be one of THOSE parents who let their children act that way…
Enter: Cora Sophia Brown
Enter: Pastor Matt
Exit: Former frame of mind
I love our church! My daughter is one of those kids that runs all over the place. So is the Pastor’s 3-year-old son and so are lots of other kids in our church. And it’s all good. My daughter is one of those kids that, on the rare occasion she gets to sit with us in a church service, yells to people she knows…dances on stage during the children’s Christmas program and during children’s Sunday school promotion…gives high-fives after PaPa says “amen” during her baby brother’s dedication…
Yes, I’ve become one of those parents. AND I’ve found out that it’s not a bad way to be. Especially in our church. Thing is, if you’re going to let your kids run and act like kids, where better to do it than the church? Our church loves kids and wants them be themselves. Jesus loves kids and wants them to be themselves. He’s the one who said “Let the children come to me.”
Our new pastor will tell you that our church is changing and that it has nothing to do with him. Yes, God is doing the changing AND Pastor Matt, if you’re checking this, He’s using you to help bring those changes. I am excited about the direction our church is growing in. I didn’t mean to say “growing”, but that’s the truth of the matter.
I recently read an article in one of Geron’s worship magazines about what the church should be. It was referring to the New Testament church in Acts 2:42-47. I went home and read more about that church and God convicted me. I’ve played a role in church most of my life. I’ve always played the piano for something, sang in some sort of choir, been involved in a Sunday School class or Bible study group. In college, I spent several summers doing missions in various places. I feel like Paul, sort of, saying all these things that if anyone has reason to boast about being a church member, it was me. BUT HEAVEN FORBID that I continue my life in this way. Granted all of those things I have participated in are good. In 1 Corinthians 13 (the love passage) God’s Word says that no matter what good I do, if I don’t have love, I am nothing. All those things I mentioned doing above, a lot of them were out of a sense of duty more so than love. The New Testament church in Acts—those people had LOVE for each other. I want to be that kind of person, that kind of church member. I’ve got a ways to go. I have never been very outgoing, but that may be what God is requiring of me now. I want people that come to Grace church and those that I encounter in my everyday life to remember me as someone who loves the Lord and who loves them. I want people who come to Grace church to feel like they are part of a family of believers who loves them just as they are, even with hyper active children. You who are my friends and are reading this, please hold me accountable to be who God is calling me to be and not settle for less, even when it’s harder to do the right thing.
I am one of THOSE parents who lets their kid run around in the church building and be a kid. I am one of THOSE parents who is starting to see what matters most is that her child and other children are LOVED and free to be who God is creating them to be. I want people to love my kids and help teach them that they are valuable to God. And I want to be one of THOSE people who does that for other people’s children. How about you?
3 comments:
wow Lydia.. sounds like God is really doing one of THOSE works in you!
I am praying, and I promise to hold you accountable. thanks for this reminder today. I needed to hear it.
Yesterday I was running up the steps to my apartment (all the running I've done in a loooonnng time), and remembered that i used to run down the steps at church growing up all the time , and to see how many steps I could skip jumping down them. Happy memories. But I'm not sure if mom and daddy know that...I wondered if I ever ran over any elderly people. Anyway, I also remember that we had a lot of "Lock ins" where we were encouraged to play in the church as teenagers.
As for being outgoing, I think you were outgoing at the BSU. Not that I'm trying to say you should not improve on this or that you didn't need convicting. But I do want you to know that I see you as a loving and outgoing Christian. (Maybe that just means that i have a ways to go in that area, too--maybe my standards are too low).
It must be hard to be so talented in a way that is so useful to the church. It must be a real struggle not to do things out of obligation. Sometimes I wish I were able to play the piano (and sometimes I try when somebody REALLY needs somebody--usually people just give up and go a capella, no kidding), but I hadn't thought about how I would have to struggle against doing it out of obligation. I'm glad you are aware of it and are fighting against that.
I will pray for you that you will be more loving, but I will also pray that you will be able to see yourself as God sees you. I know you already are seeing what He wants to give you, to help you to become more loving, but I also pray that you won't forget that He is already delighted in you.
The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing.
great post! it was very convicting to me..thanks for the reminder!
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