Special Permission

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We hopped {well as best as a pregnant lady who has been on bed rest for six weeks can hop} into the car giddy with excitement. It was the first time in six-plus weeks that the Mr. and I were out of the four walls of our home together. We were on our way to see friends that might as well be family, worship our God and be “normal.” It was one of the greatest Easter gifts I could have ever asked for.

In my most recent doctor’s visit I begged to go to church on this very special day. And although she seemed a little hesitant, she allowed me to venture out to my home away from home.

When we walked through the doors the worship music washed over me and I was overjoyed. Oh how I had been missing this so very much. The sense of joy for all that this resurrection day means and the expectancy of our God moving was tangible.  The church had just been through a whirlwind season of preparation and execution of one of the most incredible Easter performances {put on something like nine times!} I have ever seen. I missed it this year of course, but the utter joy from being a part of God moving through the production was evident in the staff and the members who were a part of it. Say what you will, but the Holy Spirit can be contagious and boy was it yesterday!

I didn’t realize how much I missed it all until we walked in the doors and got to our seats and I could just soak it all in. I stood for a few moments, eyes closed and tears welling up, thanking God for these incredible gifts: our little one still in my womb, my rock steady husband, a church that LOVES Jesus and the ability to celebrate my Savior.

I’ve heard many people say they love God and hate the church. And there are parts of me that understand those statements. Especially if you’ve been burned by church members before {I certainly have}. But that’s the beauty of church, it’s made up of flawed, not-even-close-to-perfect people. Yet God can use it to do His work and minister to us if we humbly submit to Him and acknowledge that without Him, we are incapable of being all that we can be.

Yesterday was a vivid reminder to me that we miss a beautiful and tangible piece of our God when we neglect being a part of a church body. When our soul feels dry His church can help to bring us back to life. When we can’t seem to muster up the thanksgiving we know we should feel in our hearts, being in His presence amongst His body can help manifest the thanksgiving we have wanted to express but seemed to have lost. When we feel far from Him, we can walk through the doors of His church and the distance is no longer there.

I don’t know if this post is intended for someone in particular or perhaps just for me to get what’s been on my mind and in my heart in writing. But if you feel like I have and have been burned in that past like I have been, don’t let that stand in your way to walk through the doors of His church in the near future. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. Sometimes we need to walk through the doors of the church and join in the fellowship of believers to know that we know that we know that we aren’t as far from Him as we thought.