I have a confession to make. I missed church today. I overslept and the rest of the family did too. I feel just rotten missing my Sunday service. I know I missed out on a great movement of God. I asked God to forgive me, and I am praying that next Sunday morning that I will be back on the front row. We may still try to go tonight, but going at night is so hard because my husband has to be at work by 5 a.m.
You know when we miss; we can miss God. He is so wonderful, and He has so much to offer us. It is not that He is mad or angry at me for missing because I am a no good sinner and He can’t wait to punish me. He is sad because He knows that I missed out on a blessing.
He is sad for me. Get it! He loves me so much that He doesn’t want me to miss out on His blessings. He started The Church as a place to go and be blessed and to worship Him. He didn’t start The Church so we can feel shame and condemnation. He started it so we can show Christ’s love to each other.
This young lady is so inspirational. She is a former drug addict, singing for the Glory of Christ!
Okay, I am thankful for God’s Church for 10 simple reasons.
- Jesus meets me there. He meets me everywhere, but at the church it is something holy, sacred.
- I can walk into His sanctuary and feel enveloped in His love.
- I walk into His sanctuary and feel the love of others. Hugs and hand squeezes. (I keep hand sanitizer in my purse during flu season.) I wish I could bottle up all that love and take it with me everywhere.
- I feel accepted for who I am and where I am in my walk with Him.
- I know not everyone has a church like mine, but I am truly blessed by the love I see there every week with people coming to the altar to share each others’ burdens. We have members fighting all types of cancers and heart disease. We have members fighting financial problems. We are together as one. We all have problems, but we have a love for one another.
- The prayers we pray are heart-felt and real. I know that I have fellow moms and grandmothers praying for me. This one lady comes over every Sunday and gives my hand a squeeze and says from her heart, “I am praying for you.” I always tell her that her prayers are working. I missed hearing her tell me that today.
- I learn so much at church about Him. I have notebooks full of the lessons I have learned. I learn something new every time I go to church.
- I learn something new about myself and my relationship to Him every time I sit on my pew. I learn about how great He is and that He sees me as someone special that He wants to use.
- I am reminded every week of what Jesus did for me. It is real this thing of Salvation. Jesus is real. He was a real man who gave himself to die on an old cross. He did this for you and me so that we would know Grace, Love, and Forgiveness.
10. I am thankful that although I missed church today, Christ is in me, loving me, and reminding me that I am His.
I hope you will find Him today. He is waiting for you with out stretched arms. Will you come to Him?
Peace and God Bless!
This post for Day 18 of both the 31 Days online writing challenge started by home blogger, Myquillyn Smith (The Nester) and Kate Motaung’s Five Minute Friday and her 31-Day Five Minute Writing Challenge. I am combining her prompts for day 12 and day 14: gone and rest.
Contributing to these blog hops:
This is a great list!
This is so beautiful. You made me take a deep breath. God is so good.
Sometimes over sleeping is just as nourishing.
I agree — though we are bad about sneaking in late — which I hate. I need to work on getting my kids to move along those mornings. And you are right, I always feel more at peace after worship.
As a pastor’s wife, I never miss church unless I’m on vacation, etc. 🙂 But we always miss those that are working, vacationing, sick, etc. We love our church family and it’s so nice to see a post about being thankful for your church!
It sounds like you are very much at home in your church and surrounded by a wonderful fellowship. I do know what you mean about how it makes you not feel right to miss going. Thanks for sharing! You have been a good witness!
I actually made it to church this week, which is something I don’t get to do often. I enjoyed my time there and hope I can make it there more often.
Even though you can pray or be spiritual anywhere, there is just something comforting about a church sanctuary, especially one you’re so familiar with.
I missed church today, too, as I had two little sick boys that needed to stay home. I hate to miss it.
You probably got blessed with a lie-in which will have done your body good 🙂
I’m thankful for the chance I have to renew my covenants with my Heavenly Father each Sunday during the sacrament (communion). On the rare occasion that I cannot go to church, I feel “off” during that following week. There is power, strength, and peace that comes in church attendance.