Last April Daddy Bear, Mr and I decided we would visit a church that our recently acquired friends invited us to for Easter Sunday. I have to interject this by saying that I was somewhat jaded by our most recent church membership and although we were members, we had not attended that particular church in over a year. Just kind of going through life without a spiritual anchor and home. The church we were invited to visit was small in size and congregation and had been established in the Big Town of Gray Station for a long time, like early 1900's and didn't have a lot of buzz that I knew of or word of mouth. Just a simple Christian Church and congregation in a beautiful older building with stained glass windows. A long time ago when I had worked at a different hospital I knew of a dear friend that had passed away and was buried in this church's cemetery so from what I knew about this sweet woman I assumed it had to be a good place.
I was a little nervous visiting on Easter Sunday because let's all be honest, besides Christmas Easter Sunday is the basic belief system of pretty much all churches so I was thinking there would be more people, more pressure, etc. I was so happily proved wrong. The actual church building reminds me of what you could expect to see in Bethlehem with its large steeple(with an actual working bell with a cord to signal the start of the service), stained glass windows, and red cushion lined pews. Once inside I honestly felt the holy spirit or ghost if you will present and this church has that wonderful smell that I really can't describe or relate to other than "an old church" maybe from leather, pews made of real wood. The "church smell" for me which immediately makes me feel calm and decreases my anxiety (this is a good thing). Mr was already there with his friend and his friend's parents (the family that had invited us) drinking probably his tenth cup of coffee of the morning and well into the "hug and howdy time". We were greeted pretty much by all of the congregation in a warm welcoming way and I didn't noticed anyone giving us the look like "who are you, why are you here and what church have you been attending." The sermon by the minister was very inspiring and the old time hymns of my youth were the music played and sang. I'm thinking at this point so far it's a real hit. On the ride home we all agreed we really enjoyed the service and would be going back for another visit. Again after each service it was feeling like where we needed to be.
Mr. surprised us on November 9th, 2011 by speaking with the minister (who thinks Mr is something else?!) and he decided he wanted to be baptized that evening! Wow we really are onto to something now. I quickly call Meme in G'Vegas and say get in your car and get to Gray Station the boy is getting baptized this evening. I'm pretty sure Mom did about 80mph the whole way. It was the evening service and the sun was setting and the light into the stained glass windows was simply beautiful. I asked the minister if I could come up to the baptismal and take pictures and he happily told me "you can do whatever you want to do for this wonderful occasion". Now what happened next some naysayers or haters might say "yeah ok Wednesday" but honestly the spirit of the Lord was truly in that church for Mr's baptism and no one can convince me otherwise. I took two pictures with my digital camera that has auto correct for lighting, flash,etc. The first picture of Mr in the baptismal is dark and a little grainy. The next picture I took of Mr was after he was submerged and brought up from the water and it is clear, light and what I consider the perfect picture. My heart was busting from my chest with pride and love and I had to try and not bawl like a baby on this perfect occasion.
We officially joined this church on January 1,2012 and I feel like for the first time in a very long time on this spiritual journey, at least for me, that I have found a perfect Christian home. Now I must tell you that I'm not a big Polly Annie thinking everything is right as rain and that our church will not have issues or problems. Not going to happen with any organized religion despite denomination or belief system. I just know that in this moment of time in my life I have fully embraced this experience, look forward to going to the services, hearing the sermons and music and getting to know the congregation better each time. It gives me a peace and a foundation and I've needed that for a long time now. I'm really glad I didn't listen to those nagging feelings of "oh I don't want to try and find another church to attend which really could only be the devil). I feel calm and peaceful while sitting in that pew, always trying to listen and learn more while gazing at the beautiful stained glass windows. There is also a large piece of stained glass mosaic of Jesus with the cross over the altar with the verse "Not My Will, but Thine, Be Done" from Psalms 40:7-40:8. This verse is about humility I do believe. Perfect peace for me.
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