Pay It Forward

Yesterday in the Salon one of our clients was telling me a story about her morning prior to coming to see us. She was at the Starbucks drive-thru (which is a treat for her that she does not get on a regular basis) and the girl working the window told her that 25 cars ago someone started Pay It Forward and paid for the person behind them. It had been going on all morning! The girl asked if she wanted to keep it going and she, of course, said absolutely! I LOVED hearing this. Now that is what the Christmas season is about...not fighting over a t.v at Walmart at 5 in the morning!!! I can't help but wonder who ended the Pay It Forward trend yesterday. All it takes is one person to get something amazing going and all it takes is for one person to put a halt to it. But, the part I choose to focus on is the one person who began it. We have so much power to do good...to start something! It's like when you're at a sports event and someone decides it's time to do the wave...and then the next thing you know the ENTIRE stadium is doing it. We are capable of SO much especially when we come together. Which brings me to the topic of church ...

I have always had issues about going to church. Here is my church life in a nutshell...grew up in the church (Lakeview), attended Awanas (not by choice, by parental force...I was young). I remember the first bible verse I memorized was John 3:16. Sunday mornings were usually a fight in our house. Mom was the only one who ever really wanted to go. Stopped going, started again when we were just under our teenage years. Went to First Assembly of God. There was a lot of speaking in tongues...that freaked me out. Went to one Sunday school class there, did not like it. Stopped going. Started with family friends (without my family) at First Baptist when I was 17. Got baptized when I was 18. Stopped going when my Grandparents (mom's parents) came to visit "my" church and the preacher was talking negatively about Catholics (my Grandma is Catholic). I had a really bad view on the whole church concept after that. I was tired of church's thinking their way was the only way. How small minded. God is bigger than that. The other thing that bothered me when I was there was that a man (faithful member of that church) who owned a restaurant was open on Sundays...the church practically crucified him for working on the day of rest. I was done with church after that. I would attend here and there for family occasions, but other than that I had a real crap attitude about church. To me church was a bunch of hypocrites who thought they were better than others because they showed up to a building every Sunday morning. It honestly took me until now to see it all differently. In looking back, I know that it was wrong of me (judgemental even) to view all churches in a negative light because of a few human episodes that occurred. Though I hadn't attended church regularly since age 18, I have definitely experienced God without the church. He came to me in creative ways throughout the years and I recognized Him in those ways. He was always knocking at my door, but I wasn't always knocking at His. But, I have been knocking at His since Grandpa H. died in 2001. My Faith has grown stronger, deeper. But, just like working out and eating right...eventually you hit a plateau and you have to step it up. It's interesting (yet not surprising) that God called me back to the church right after I read Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life (I did 40 days straight). Rick Warren is all about going to church and how important it is to be around other God loving, God fearing people. Even when I was doing the study, I cringed every time he talked about church. But, then God took all my negativity and ignorance about the church and replaced it with an open mind and an open heart. I feel like since I started church and got involved in a small group I have entered into a different aspect of being with God. I LOVE sharing with other believers, I love encouraging them and praying for them and just plain loving them! I love telling them who I am and how God is working in my life. I love sharing the moments that God has spoken into my life (and He does). It's really very cool.
I believe that God can transform anything and anyone. But, he is looking for willingness. I haven't been willing for SO many years. And, now that I am He has room to work in me. If I could give anyone any piece of advice (at this point in my life) it is to make the space for God. Clear it out for Him and then slowly put back only the things that have been blessed by Him. And if you aren't sure how to do that, just ask Him. Right now, just ask. He is SO good. He is always there. He always has been, and he always will be.