I Love You, CBC!

A couple of years ago, our marriage was good, we were expecting a child, we had a beautiful home, and we had our good health. We had great friends and family, and our lives were amazing. But something was missing on Sunday mornings. I was pregnant and sleepy and I was teaching, so we got in the habit of not really going to church anywhere. Over time, we had become complacent. If we went, we enjoyed it, but if we didn't, it wasn't a big deal. I had become a little bitter about past experiences, growing up going every time the doors were open, but also experiencing church splits,  feelings of guilt every time I went, and sometimes feeling even more broken and confused as I was leaving the holy place. I was on the "you don't have to go to church to have a strong relationship with God" train, and while that's true, there's a lot more to it. Our current pastor had invited us many times as well as some friends of ours who attended CBC. We finally said, "ok, we will try it...but that's it." We went on Easter Sunday and they had a cantata. I love a good cantata, and they wore choir robes, which gave me all the church warm and fuzzies. When we got home, we weren't ready to commit. We both said, "ok, that was good. As along as we continue to like it and grow, we will go." Here we are a year and a half later, and it's become a big part of us. One of my long time spiritual mentors once told me, " stop carrying guilt and regret. Focus on what God wants you to do instead of all the things he says not to. The rest will take care of itself." We started being there most Sundays and then Wednesday nights. Old friendships were restored and new ones are continuing to blossoms. I began leading the Awana ministry, which has been so much fun. During all of this, I have come realize and accept that it has so little to do with "attending" church, the name of the church you attend, denomination, or your attendance record, but it has absolutely everything to  do with community. It has everything to do with getting together with people who believe in a world where their kids can grow up loving Jesus. It has everything to do with a bunch of broken, battered sinners who just love Jesus and want to try to be a little more like him each day. It has everything to do with building friendships with fellow sinners who you can laugh with, cry with, have play dates with, and sit together and share a meal with. It has everything to do with family. Will we go through ruts again? Sure, that's life. Will I still say on a regular basis, "gah, Carlton is SO far!" Yep. I will. But when I leave, it's always worth it. Every. single. time. Because it's not about "Carlton." It's about my people. My community. I am so thankful for those people. It is my prayer that these relationships will continue to thrive, with a common goal of serving God and our community. We are given a great command to go out and love, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to do that with some pretty great peeps.