Do you know that parents of children who are battling diseases inside of a hospital cannot always make it to church on a Sunday? Yet through their stories and their words I find so much of Jesus. Their love for Him. Their trust in Him. Because they are living for Him. Church on Sunday or not.
I am suddenly very tired with the rational, legalistic thinking of "the church" in general. I feel lately as though some Christians have the mentality that if you miss a Sunday, proving to be unfaithful in some slight way, that defines where you stand spiritually. This sort of thinking frustrates me to the very core of who I am. I do not intend to go on some spiritual rampage during this post, but I need to clear my thinking and express again how WE are the church. Let me also add that unless someone openly talks to you about their faith (such as I do), it is not your business where they stand spiritually. Their relationship with Jesus is personal, private and safe and it should always remain that way. No matter how close your friendship may be, or how much you think you have shared in the past...never cross that line with someone.
I refuse to believe that because a person misses a church service, bible study or prayer meeting that their commitment to Jesus is not secure. It is unfair thinking to lay our judgements on something so cliche'. I took my relationship with Jesus out of the box a long time ago and I am not about to put it back in because someone believes it is necessary to show or even prove that my walk with the Lord is strong and steady. It is, strong and steady, by the way. It has never wavered.
Anyway, I will get off of that topic now. I'm sure most of you are confused. It's been a disheartening week in a couple of delicate areas but we have leaned upon the Lord and asked for His guidance and we know that He is doing a mighty work in our lives. One day I will share with you the testimony of how Daniel and I got hurt so deeply at a church in North Carolina and how we forgave and overcame the struggle to end up in a much better place with God. But, not today. Just not today.
Things are good here. Yesterday was Daniel's day off and we took the kids to the water park for the first time this summer! It was like 95 degrees by noon and we only stayed until 1 because Braden was SOOOO tired. He would go down the baby water slide and throw a massive fit if any other little kid went down it. King of the world, he thinks he is. Nora is quickly learning to swim on her own and she wants to so badly! She was plugging her nose and going under like she has always known how. We took Jake and he had a good time too. He's so good with the babies.
Last night MeMe watched the kids so that Daniel and I could go out. Let me just say that since the kids have been born, when we go out it is usually to dinner OR a movie. Not ever both. So we took advantage of Sara's offer and did both last night. Dinner was great and we saw Transformer's which was also great! It was such a nice time but we both really missed the kids and jumped quickly out the van when we pulled into the garage. They were both waiting to jump in our arms which is priceless, as always.
We have a pretty dull weekend ahead. We still have a heat advisory here until tomorrow I believe so please keep Daniel in your prayers. He is physically exhausted, emotionally drained and spiritually frustrated. We need to lift Him up today! Walking 10 or more miles in this heat is unthinkable to me and yet he continues to do it day after day to provide for this family. He's a good man.
I suppose that's all for now. I'm going to the store tonight and have a few more recipes to post throughout the next few days so be on the lookout! Oh, and now I can turn my obsessive Jon & Kate behavior to something a little more rational...
focusing on, crying over and mourning the death of Farrah and Michael Jackson. What a week. What a hard, sad week.
No comments:
Post a Comment