I don’t know about you but I don’t think I will pray for a snow day ever again. I am enjoying being at home with Maria and Mac but not being able to get out and enjoy a coffee and a pastry at my favorite coffee shop around the corner is getting a bit old. And one of the things I miss most is seeing you, my family on Sundays. Modern social media can never take the place of an actual hug which when we meet again probably will still not be happening, but we will be able to see each other and praise Him together as a family once again! Take heart that day is soon coming!
I remember the weekend before all this social distancing started. The weekend before the orders to stay at home were given, we had a city wide prayer meeting. Several people from the county came into the city to meet at our church and pray. The focus for those gathered that Saturday was to pray for our neighborhood we are in called Dutchtown. We assembled in the fellowship room of our church which is downstairs. A young woman with her two children came that morning to help us pray for the neighborhood. She goes to a wonderful church in South County, a newer church that is quite a bit larger than ours. As we waited for the allotted time to start and for others to come I sat down next to Nate, her little boy. He is 6 years old. I wanted to welcome him and get to know him a little better. Have you noticed that children don’t mess around? They still are very honest and don’t mince with words when they are expressing their opinion of something. I asked him what his favorite breakfast food was and as he gave me his answer I could tell he was distracted by something. He kept looking around the fellowship hall like an architect looking at his next project. That’s when he looked straight into my eyes and asked me a very direct question. His question was not that of a 6 year old but one of a much wiser man. He asked “Why is your church so broken down?” He was looking at the cracks on the walls, the concrete floor and the ceiling tiles, which could use some attention. The church he was in was not like the one he was used to. This church was much older and yes, more run down on the inside than his. I simply said, “Oh Nate, my new friend, if you think this fellowship hall is broken, you should come on a Sunday and see all the broken people who assemble here together as a family!” It is true, Zion City Church is full of broken people of which I am probably the one who is most damaged. But the great news is that we serve a Savior who knows how to fix us! He knows how to mend our broken hearts, he knows just where to pour in the oil of Gilead and bring healing to our shattered lives! He after all stood at the balcony of time and created this whole world with his heavenly father. And even his step father Joseph taught him all about, you guessed it, carpentry. So we lively stones called the church are in good hands! Then I looked deep into the eyes of the young man that I was having a conversation with, and there I saw the creator smiling back at me. God reminded me he was building his church and we indeed were a part of it! Praise God!
I don’t know about you but I don’t think I will pray for a snow day ever again. I am enjoying being at home with Maria and Mac but not being able to get out and enjoy a coffee and a pastry at my favorite coffee shop around the corner is getting a bit old. And one of the things I miss most is seeing you, my family on Sundays. Modern social media can never take the place of an actual hug which when we meet again probably will still not be happening, but we will be able to see each other and praise Him together as a family once again! Take heart that day is soon coming!
The weekend before all this social distancing started. The weekend before the orders to stay at home were given, we had a city wide prayer meeting. Several people from the county came into the city to meet at our church and pray. The focus for those gathered that Saturday was to pray for our neighborhood we are in called Dutchtown. We assembled in the fellowship room of our church which is downstairs. A young woman with her two children came that morning to help us pray for the neighborhood. She goes to a wonderful church in South County, a newer church that is quite a bit larger than ours. As we waited for the allotted time to start and for others to come I sat down next to Nate, her little boy. He is 6 years old. I wanted to welcome him and get to know him a little better. Have you noticed that children don’t mess around? They still are very honest and don’t mince with words when they are expressing their opinion of something. I asked him what his favorite breakfast food was and as he gave me his answer I could tell he was distracted by something. He kept looking around the fellowship hall like an architect looking at his next project. That’s when he looked straight into my eyes and asked me a very direct question. His question was not that of a 6 year old but one of a much wiser man. He asked “Why is your church so broken down?” He was looking at the cracks on the walls, the concrete floor and the ceiling tiles, which could use some attention. The church he was in was not like the one he was used to. This church was much older and yes, more run down on the inside than his. I simply said, “Oh Nate, my new friend, if you think this fellowship hall is broken, you should come on a Sunday and see all the broken people who assemble here together as a family!” It is true, Zion City Church is full of broken people of which I am probably the one who is most damaged. But the great news is that we serve a Savior who knows how to fix us! He knows how to mend our broken hearts, he knows just where to pour in the oil of Gilead and bring healing to our shattered lives! He after all stood at the balcony of time and created this whole world with his heavenly father. And even his step father Joseph taught him all about, you guessed it, carpentry. So we lively stones called the church are in good hands! Then I looked deep into the eyes of the young man that I was having a conversation with, and there I saw the creator smiling back at me. God reminded me he was building his church and we indeed were a part of it! Praise God!
Looking forward to seeing you soon,