Why Church Matters

Nothing of significance rocked our day today. We had home church again. Discussed the Sabbath School lesson, sang a few songs, and listened to two sermons on CD's. Then I fixed a big meal, to simulate the potluck dinner we missed. All in all, it was a regular worshipful Sabbath, except for the fact that we didn't get past our front door. I asked Dean what he misses most about going to church and he said visiting with people. So when my foot gets better, I will have to make sure that we go visit people more often.

I've asked myself if seeing other people is really an important reason for going to church? And I have to admit that it is a tremendous part. You can't find a substitute for personal eye-to-eye contact with someone else. Facebook just doesn't hold a candle to it. The Lord meant for us to be social beings. We were built for interaction. That is how the gospel was and is spread and what we'll be spending an eternity in heaven doing.

Here's a quotation we read together today that verifies this:
 “As His representatives among men, Christ does not choose angels who have never fallen, but human beings, men of like passions with those they seek to save. Christ took upon Himself humanity, that He might reach humanity. Divinity needed humanity, for it required both the divine and the human to bring salvation to the world. Divinity needed humanity that humanity might afford a channel of communication between God and man.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 296.

There's no substitute for going to church. It's God's chosen vessel for reaching the world.

In Grandpa's Arms

Dean took his almost-two-year-old granddaughter for a ride this evening. A quite scary ride, in fact, and we weren't even at the Fair. She loves to see Grandpa, or G-pop, and is always anxious to go to him. So shortly after they arrived, he had her in his arms. Before we knew it, they took a ride from a standing position all the way to the floor, as he mistook the telephone table for his chair.

There were lots of things to catch their fall, though none of them were of the soft variety--the box of DVDs, a jar with pencils, a lamp, and of course, the telephone, to mention a few. A tray and a table will have to be replaced. But thank heaven, both riders survived the crash, with nothing but a scared psyche to mark the event. Grandpa held onto her admirably, thinking of nothing but protecting her during the fall.

If I fall, I want my loving Grandpa God to have me in  His arms too. I know His only thought will be to protect me as we go down. There may be lots of debris between us and the floor, but God will make sure that His precious child will land unharmed, even if there are some bruises and terrors on the way. We will go down together. And He will help pick up the pieces.

Look, Mom, No Walker!

The last two days I have been weaning myself off the walker and walking on my own, with the boot preferably. A lot of swelling has gone down, and it feels comfortable enough after almost five weeks of hobbling around with it. Next week, the doctor said I could probably do without the boot if the X-ray looks alright. Hooray!

It feels strange to walk on my own, but I have missed being able to carry things that didn't fit into the pockets of the walker. Like laundry, a plate of food, the dog dish, a trash can. My work-free days are at an end, it seems. Back to the old grind. I'm a very independent person though, and it's nice to be able to do everything myself again.

I think the Lord knew I needed this short amount of time to let me know that I am not only needed, but that I need someone too. The extra time laying around also allowed me to look at how much I need God. Truly, God has been there, overseeing the whole situation. He arranged for it to be my left foot so I can still drive. The pain wasn't unbearable, and the healing seems to be happening in a timely manner. Many friends I know have not been so fortunate with their falls. I thank God for watching over me and allowing only as much as I could bear.

An Easter Wedding

My niece is getting married this weekend and I'm so happy for her. She has waited long for someone who cares this much about her. Their wedding will be on Saturday evening on the beach. Nothing elaborate, just a simple joining of two lives together. I know they are anxious to proclaim their commitment to each other in front of their friends and family. I wish I could attend, but will have to be content to hear about the event through my loved ones.

I think back to the early church. There were disciples living in Jerusalem who were witnesses to the events surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. And then there were a vast number later who depended on those firsthand accounts and had to be content to hear about Jesus' life and ministry through them.

As we look forward to this Easter weekend and the wedding, I will also be looking back to another Easter when Jesus gave us something else to celebrate. Whether we are there, or just hear about it from others, both occasions are sure to hold a special place in our hearts.

The Royal Treatment

The highlight of my day was grocery shopping with my daughter and her two little girls. One of them, Jenna, age 3, had two pigtails today, and with her blonde, curly hair, she reminded me of Ellie Mae on The Beverly Hillbillies. My injured foot required me to use a motorized cart, so Jenna stationed herself by my cart so she could retrieve the items from the shelf and put them in my basket. Julia, the one-year-old, entertained me with her latest word--the sound of a rooster, "cocka-do". Then, of course, Kayla, my daughter, did all the bagging and loading of groceries into the car. I felt like a queen with my three beautiful ladies-in-waiting. It was worth hurting my foot to get this kind of royal treatment.

Perhaps this is why the Lord is so anxious for us to get to heaven. He's preparing a place for us there, and I get the impression that it will be a place fit for a king. He knows we have been through a lot on this planet of sin. He will do all He can to make up for what we have suffered. And all that suffering will require some pretty grand royal treatment.

As I felt nothing but praise and joy for my three benefactors today, we will sing glorious praise to our Lord Jesus and throw our crowns at His feet in appreciation for our heavenly reward. It will be worth more than the hurt foot. It will make up for a lifetime of pain.

Double Dose

Last night I woke up around 2 a.m. and couldn't, for the life of me, get back to sleep. I laid there about an hour, then checked my blood pressure to see if it was running high--that sometimes keeps me awake. It wasn't high, so I decided a bite to eat might help me sleep. While I was waiting for the toaster, I took Dean's pill organizer off the microwave, as I'm accustomed to doing several times a day, and was shocked to see that he had already taken his morning pills! How terrifying to think that he must have double dosed himself earlier that night. As I went back to bed, after checking up on Dean to see if he was still breathing, all I could do was praise God for leading me to the pill organizer the way He did.

The nurse told me this morning that Dean may have more confusion and dementia symptoms for a few days following a trip like we had, but now I know to keep a much closer eye on his pills. What a wonderful God we have to keep me awake until I discovered what had happened.

Psalms 121:4 says "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." What a comfort to know He's always there.

Good-bye to a Friend

I am saddened today about the loss of a great gentleman who attended my church for about as many years as the local church existed. Mitch will be long remembered for his wide smile and winsome ways. Even though he was at an age where losing him should be expected, it still caught most of us by surprise. He was at church just yesterday, smiling and shaking hands with all his friends.

I know this makes him sound like a strong, gregarious person. But he really had a very humble, non-assuming personality. Mitch didn't have to command your attention. You gave it to him because he just seemed worthy of it. He was proud of his native American heritage, but didn't lord it over anyone either.

He spoke of his Savior as his best friend, as I'm sure He was. And he wanted everyone to know that Jesus could be their friend too. Mitch served God right to the end. He could always be depended on to visit others who couldn't make it to church, and he never failed to amaze me with his wise and loving comments during Sabbath School class. I looked forward to his insights in our Bible study each week.

There's a lot to miss about our friend Mitch. There was a lot behind his wide, ear-to-ear smile. And I think those are the things that will live on in all the lives he touched. The best part, the God-part, lives on.