Deeper Things

This place has a way of getting under my skin, of seeping into my bones. It’s almost like an addiction, the reason I keep coming back. I love what I feel here, I love the person I am here, but it’s hard to precisely define why I feel that way.

I breathe easier here. I am not judged by human standards and found wanting; I am loved and accepted solely because I am a beloved child of God. Here I can question to my heart’s content and am given latitude to come to my own conclusions, surrounded by a safety net of a multitude of counselors. Here, I am not expected to busy myself with a bunch of religious activity and obligations; the good works that I do flow only from the abundance of life within me. Here, I am not expected to measure up to anyone’s ideal except what Christ would have me be. Here, I can minister and be ministered to. Here I am well watered in the gentlest of environments, and here I blossom easily. There’s no pretense, no striving, no condemnation, no need for lengthy explanations because I’m already understood. Here, I am truly free to be who I am in Christ, nothing more and nothing less.

I have no intent to portray this place as paradise, because it certainly isn’t. I’m pretty sure paradise has more bathrooms. But there are things I find here that I have yet to find elsewhere. There are places, among the family of God, that we can experience, for a precious, fleeting moment in time, the kingdom of heaven on earth. And to me, this is one such time and place.

Neither am I alone in my thinking. There are many who have come to visit and never left. Others return time and time again, bringing someone with them every time. There’s something special about this place, and although we may not be able to describe why, we all know it.

We're not here because of all of the work being done. In fact, we're well aware that another tumultuous hurricane season could wipe out in an instant everything our physical efforts have accomplished in the past seven months. We're here because God is working here, and He's graciously invited us to come along.

That, and also because Sabrina cooks ribs like, at least once a week.

Questions, comments, concerns? Please feel free to E-mail me!