Together

 


And let us take thought of how to spur one another on to love and good works, not abandoning our own meetings, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and even more so because you see the day drawing near.  Hebrews 10:24-25

Why do I look forward to going to church on Sunday? Sure, the sermons are interesting and the worship is uplifting, but it’s the people. I want to see Jim and Teri. I want to see Aaron and Katie. I want to see Dona’s smile. I want to see my son interacting with Matthew. I want to see my husband encouraging Cody. I hope to bump into Susan and Mark and see how life is going for them. I wonder what is up with Diane and Chuck. Did that lady whose name I can never remember have her baby?

There have been times when I thought I was supposed to go so that I could encourage those people. So that I could be there to give them a good word. Anytime I walked in with that mindset, I was likely to leave having been taught a thing or two. The reality is that I have so much more to learn than I have to impart. Just this last Sunday, as I was sitting on the steps waiting for my husband to bring the car around, I heard the most incredible story. A couple from our church was on a fishing trip and the wife had brought her water bottle. On it was a sticker with the name of our church. Someone else on the trip saw the sticker and looked up the church online later. They realized that they had visited in the past and had really enjoyed it, but had never been back. They sent an email to the church to make contact and get more information. All from a sticker on a water bottle. And let’s be honest, they were probably pretty impressed with the person carrying it too. It just made me think. How often do we go about our regular lives and not realize how much the people around us might be watching? If the waitress noticed you praying over your lunch did she also notice you leaving her a generous tip? I hope so!

Sometimes I worry too much about what other people think. What I’m wearing, or not wearing. I’ve heard lots of times of people who ask their servers at restaurants how they can pray for them. I’ve always been too nervous to do that. Why? Am I really so concerned about my reputation with a stranger that I may never see again? And if I am, shouldn’t I be erring on the side of showing Christ-like behavior? That said, I think my son might curl up in the corner of the booth and die if I asked. We are a strange bunch, aren’t we?

Here’s the Thing: In order to benefit from any of this, we have to be TOGETHER. Let us not abandon our own meetings, folks! Let us get together and encourage each other, even more so because we see the day drawing near!

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