September 17, 2011

Greetings My Friend,

I remember hearing through the years various arguments on why there is no need for church in a person’s life. Some of the arguments are, “I can worship God in nature.” That is so true you can worship God in nature. I have done it and do it even now. As I walk along the country road where we live I am in awe of God’s creation. The trees, the mountains and even the animals I encounter. I also love when we drive along and see cattle, goats or sheep on the hill side. It is a very peaceful sight to see.

Another argument I often hear is that there are so many hypocrites in church. That is very true. I am paraphrasing here but Jesus said He came to save the lost not the ones who were healthy. In my thinking most of us are lost. If that is the case then church is for the hurting, the lost and the lonely. If they are lost, lonely and hurting then at times people are not nice. For me I find that as God has loved me where I was at I began to grow to feel wanted and loved. Each of us in church is on a different level of our faith journey so yup there are the hypocrites.

Jesus has taught me to look beyond the surface. I can’t do it all the time, I’m getting better though. If I can reach into someone’s heart then I can begin to meet them at their need, not at their façade. As I look around my current church family I find so many wonderful people. As I state often this church has accepted Junior and I right where we are at. They encourage us and they love us where we are at. Do I see people who are annoying, I sure do. Still I am learning to let them be what they are.

Many people can find Junior to be rather blunt. He is to tell you the truth. He won’t mince words and he will come to the heart of the matter rather quickly. When he is encountering a new minister he often chats with them as he leaves the service and he tells them “you know most preachers are going to hell.” Like I said Junior can be blunt. Junior is not doing it to be mean. He has a true desire to give them a wakeup call if you will. Ministers are given a huge responsibility for bringing God’s message to their congregation. They are like the Shepard of the flock. Ministers also may get caught up in the trappings of being the leader that they forget what their calling is.

Our Minister was out of town recently and had another Minister step into his place on Sunday morning. As we left church Junior told this minister his line about preachers going to hell. When our regular Minister returned he asked how it went. I told him what Junior said and he said “That is Junior,” with a huge smile. He took Junior’s comments in stride. He heard what he had to say and then moved on.

This brings another thought to mind. This church family, God has loved me/us where we are at. As I continue to grow in this I find myself not wanting to change Junior. Men marry women and hope they stay the same. Women marry men and want to change them. I have to admit there are times I want to “help” Junior be better instead of letting Junior be Junior. I can recall times where I can see in other people’s faces and actions that they aren’t appreciating what Junior is doing or saying. At that point I often want to intercede on his behalf. I want to smooth things over.

I fell in love with Junior’s heart. I don’t know that I knew it to say it in the beginning. As the years have gone on I have seen Junior’s heart in action. As I state often when I was asking God to open my eyes and heart to Junior, God revealed Junior’s desire to help the poor. It was his inviting junk to live with us stage and he was bending over doing laundry from a bag of clothes he found on the curb. His back hurt him so much but he kept on bending over and washing the clothes so he could give them to the poor.

Junior is also very tender with me. I even see this tenderness as he cares for our pets. Junior sounds rough and tough but he is also very tender. So my tough guy can also be so very tender. It is strange and wonderful. Anyway through the years I find myself accepting Junior’s bluntness easier and easier. I am accepting because God has revealed this man’s tender heart to me. I also still have moments where a harsh voice can send me reeling in fear. As I listen to Junior correct our pets I don’t see him kicking them or shouting loudly. Junior corrects them firmly and tenderly. This is an area that I consistently have to re-learn. Our friend S calls them bus driver issues. We have things that went wrong in our past and we have triggers where we are transported back in time. For me being corrected means pain and harshness.

I am so very thankful for a church family. For all of my life I have belonged in a church family. Starting out as a child the church was the ones to step beside our family when Dad had polio. None of the charities would help us because we moved to MI and you had to be there 6 months before they would help. The church stepped in by giving us food, clothing and a back brace for Dad. My second church family was there as I was divorced. They helped me develop a deeper walk with the Lord and as Junior and I married they gave us the skills to be a married couple. We both grew up dysfunctional and did not know how to be married in a functional Christ like way. This last church family has said “we love you and we accept you.” In all of this love we have grown.

As I close I’d like to invite you to church if you don’t go. For me I believe a church where God’s Word is preached and lived is important. Won’t you consider church?

May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you.
Love
Janet