{Table For Two, Please}

 

Today in church I was looking around and it looked like most churches around the world, families, couples, friends, all sitting together. Then I noticed a few people, mixed into the blur of the pews sitting alone, an empty seat on either side of them. I sat and thought about how most of my life church has been a social event, I get up and get dressed on Sunday morning, I talk with my sisters while they get ready, and then my family gets in the car and we go to church. Sometimes my sisters and I, sometimes my dad and I, or any other mix of our family. Sometimes I do go alone, but I meet my friends there and we sit together. So I sat and I thought about these solitary people who woke up this morning, got dressed in their Sunday best, drove themselves to church, and reached the church that hundreds of people in my city worship at, to sit alone in a pew and worship God.   I know that to a lot of people this may seem sad, or maybe this seems very normal, but as I sat here thinking about these people, and about our relationship with Christ I thought of how appropriate it was. We are in a relationship with Jesus, a deep personal relationship. We are in a committed courtship with Jesus where he awes and woos us. How appropriate to awake, dress, and go to meet Jesus alone. This is not a post to bash those of us that do choose to go to church with family, a family worshipping together is beautiful. I was just struck thinking about how sweet of a gesture it is, and how appropriate a return gesture of devotion. Just as we date romantically, setting a time and place to meet, with the expectation of spending quality time together, it is absolutely proper and vitally necessary to do so with Jesus. And just as we prepare ourselves for meeting with our significant other, adorning ourselves in fine clothes it is dually appropriate to adorn ourselves to go and meet our King! And as I was thinking about these people I could not help but admire their dedication and devotion, they came to get themselves some Jesus this morning, and they came alone to meet and worship Him at a table for two. Just their Creator and them.

Love and Blessings,
K

The Plan

Lately I've been struggling with God's plan for my life. Not the plan, but the interpretations that everyone has of that plan. Being called to ordained ministry in highschool/college automatically puts you out there for the "perfect kid" comments. There will be those that think you should do or don't do things. It is extremely important to listen to your elders and people of influence in your life. Make sure you listen to their concerns and soak up all the wisdom they have to offer! BUT- At the end of the day it's you and God. Make sure that above all you are praying and asking God for guidance. Set standards for yourself, standards that are set between you and God. Once you set your standards and your expectations then everything else in your life follows suit. As was the slogan at this past years Louisiana Annual Conference, "If you know who you are you will know what to do." This is what I run my life by, sometimes I slip and I forget who I am, and whose I am, but when I remember who I am and whose I am I know what I should do. But as always- a foolproof plan is always to PRAY. God doesn't pick and choose when to pick up the phone, He is always ready to lend an ear. God's plan is the best plan there could possibly be, if you are ever unsure about something in your life, stay in prayer with God. Always Always Always. That's the best advice I could possibly give anyone about anything. 

Love and Blessings,

K