WHEN MY SOUL WAS LONGING

IMAGE SOURCE

t has been twenty six years now since I first stepped into this Church.  Its set-up was so new and so strange to me.  I think it was the bare simplicity of the layout which has struck me as unusual, being used to the church I was born into.

I was a single mom who came in for the first time with my 9 year old boy.  My son was in third grade while I went back to college to finish my curtailed BS Accountancy.  We were renting a room for ourselves while other occupants rented bed spaces.  We preferred to have our own small room rather than share a big room with others.  One of the tenants was a teacher in a private Chinese school nearby.  

There was something about her serene countenance that attracted me.  By this time, I was in a Bible correspondence course, which sends through mail, my lessons and I would return the questionnaire I have filled out back to them.  The realization of the difference between religion and relationship with Jesus was slowly creeping in my heart.

It was timely that I was in the same residence with this teacher.  I will never forget that Saturday night we were doing laundry together.  While hanging out our washings, I began a conversation with her and then I told her that I would like to visit the church where she goes.  She was so happy to take me the next day.

My second impression of the church was the happy faces of the people, wanting to enfold me and the different kind of worship.  Joy leaped in my heart as I realized the beauty of worshipping in a bare sanctuary with only a bare cross at the center of an elevated platform occupied mostly by a set of drums and a keyboard.  I was brought into  the knowledge that it is not the grandness of the sanctuary that made worship ring out to heaven, but it was the richness of hearts joined together in utmost praise.

It was the first day of my twenty six years in this church and counting.  To join a multitude of worshipers in the Body of Christ was the best choice I ever made.  Or was it Jesus' choice?  Here I began to learn and live out what I was studying in correspondence.   

I am happily joined together in the body.  I learned the true meaning of being in relationship with my Maker and how it is to be saved.

To the teacher whose life shone out for the glory of God, I give my thanks.  Nenita, I will never forget the day that I wanted to join you in your church because I saw something different in you.  It answered all my questions then and fulfilled my search to belong.

A CHURCH IN JOY'S HOME

And lastly, one thing is for sure.  To be in the Body, or in any group, you have to JOIN first.  It is a conscious choice and should be put to action.  Come and join us believers of Christ.  Happy to welcome you!

 1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

I am joining  Lisa-Jo Baker, for the first time, with her 5 Minute Friday Community, writing about the word prompt JOIN.
This is a community who writes candidly, baring soul for 5 minutes and welcomes everyone to share a bit of her or his life journey with the Savior.

And with Ms. Kelly Martin @ Kelly's Stories.

with Shelly Miller @ Redemption's Beauty. 


also with
 Nikki at SimplyStriving.