Day 17: A Place To Belong

Question to Consider: Does my level of involvement in my local church demonstrate that I love and am committed to God's family?

Let's let one of the other readers answer this question tonight...just kidding. This is a tough one for me. Especially because right now I'm struggling...no...I'm waiting on the Lord. Remember when parents actually spanked their kids? I always remember my Mom saying, "you're only making this harder on yourself". I feel that way sometimes when I realize I'm struggling, so now I'm learning to "wait on the Lord".

Do we lose our patience as we age? I thought I had enough patience to share and I do...as long as we're not talking about "me" actually waiting on something. We have become a society of instant gratification. It probably won't be long and we can sit on our fat butts, snap our fingers and have what we want...if that's how you choose to live. As for myself, I'm not going to choose to live that way. However, I was reading my Bible in the car on the way home from Little Rock today. My husband was driving by the way...no need to be scared if I'm on the road. The chapter was talking about...well...just one second, let me look it up...here it is.

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or fails. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. -Romans 14:1-4

So if you decide that's where you wanna be when Jesus comes back...that's okay with me. As for myself, this scripture had even more meaning. Walking with God is a personal and unique experience for all of us. My faith isn't weak per se, sometimes it just feels like I'm standing on my knees...knowing my faith can be stronger, but thanking God for the strength to stand on my knees.

No...I haven't forgotten about the question. What if someone from my church...actually, it's more like...the church I go to...reads this? Dear God, may my words be an encouragement and grant understanding to the ones whose eyes read this blog, in Your Name I pray...Amen. Let me just take a deep breath....now I can do this.

About six months ago, you probably couldn't have convinced me that I'd be going to church every Sunday morning, let alone every Sunday night and Wednesday night "religiously". Yet, here I am doing just that. Based on my experiences with churches and lack of understanding, I thought I was better off trying to live for God on my own without going to church. Little did I know how bad my Spirit was starving and just how little my own children knew about God.

The church I go to...I'm not a member. However, to their delight or dismay...I do try to participate, but I don't participate more is because I'm not a member. I do try to participate to the point where I don't feel I'm stepping on any of the other members toes (if that makes sense). And it's really not that I don't want to make the "commitment" by becoming a member, it runs a little deeper than that. This book says that I would be considered an "attender", but the definition doesn't exactly fit me. Even though I'm not a member, I do feel that I share a responsibility. Though I haven't committed to becoming a member, I have made other commitments to that church that I have kept and intend to keep.

I would like to be more involved, but I also want to make sure that I'm where God wants me to be. Sometimes I feel like I'm trying to follow God to where He is leading me, but I can only make out his tail lights enough to know I'm on the right path.