The Whole Church Turned Around

[eers03]

and looked at me!  I attend a really great small church.  About 200 people so its pretty small.  We are like a big family, really.  Most of us are there on Sunday morning and evening as well as Wednesdays.  

 

Anyhow, before service people stand up and voice their desire for prayer for various people or things in their life.  Well, someone requested prayer for their brother who has recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease.  "Something to do with gluten or something."

 

The whole church turned around and looked/smiled at me!  It was actually really sweet.  Everyone in my rural church in the sticks are gluten savvy.  I don't know, for all the times that we run into people that make things awkward, this was a moment where things were made completely awkward in the best way possible :-)

 

My friends were joking with me afterwards, "Hey, did you like how the whole church immediately turned around and looked at you?"  

 

It was pretty funny.  I love them.

[NoGlutenCooties]

  Thanks for sharing!  That is really sweet!

[IrishHeart]

I think it's incredibly sweet of your church members to offer up prayers on your behalf. You are blessed to be supported in that way!

 

And for the record, I am always touched  and deeply grateful for those people in my life who have offered prayers in my name.

I know my devout Mormon friend was praying for me night and day when I was very ill before diagnosis. For 3 years, she got on her knees for me, I know..... and I know she had all her people on it too.

And I am pretty sure my mom,sister and my best friends wore out several strings of rosary beads on me 

My aunt and cousins, too.They were all pretty worried about me.

I am blessed that so many were asking for help in my name.

 

Do I think prayers work? Does God answer our prayers? It's hard to say, IMHO

I say this: "yes, but sometimes  the answer is no. "

 

But they seem to think prayer is powerful and that is all that matters, isn't it?.

Faith can move mountains sometimes.

 

oh, gee.,...I did not mean to get too religious and philosophical on you,  I am just talking with you about how generous in spirit I think most people are...of all denominations and faiths. 

 

Thanks for sharing your story. It's a day-brightener, for sure!

IH

[cyclinglady]

How nice to have such loving support!

[love2travel]

Awesome to have your church's support. I do as well at mine. Made me giggle when you said a small church of 200. Our church is the same and it is huge compared to all other churches I have attended. The last one before we moved here was about 40 - very rural indeed. We do not have mega churches like the U.S. but our population is far smaller.

Cool story!

[notme]

my church is like that, too   i absolutely love them - they are like family.  all the kids are all of our kids, so funny to watch them grow into adults and then have kids of their own.  my grandkids go to choir practice, just like mine did.  i still make meals for the youth and kids groups even though none of them are mine.  yesterday i sewed a robe for a shepherd for the Christmas program.  our family is lighting the advent candle on sunday.

 

funny story - when i first moved to tennessee from nj, i was basically 'unchurched' - hadn't been for years and it didn't really bother me to sleep in on sundays.  but, when my kids started going to the kids choir there, we started going back again.  so, they asked us to do the reading and light the advent candle.  my part was from the book of malachi and i was so nervous, i pronounced it the charlie bronson way, ma la chee.  o my gosh, 17 years later, they STILL rib me for that!  in my bible study group, i told that story, and they decided that the next study should be the book of malachi.  (it was a good study!)  lololz i know when i get up there on sunday, there will be a bunch of people smiling at me and remembering my huge fail so many years ago    God speaks to all of us in the language we can understand - mine is laughter, i guess... 

 

yes, eers, you are blessed with a *small* church of 200 lolz - our pastor would love 200 people in the sanctuary! - we probably have that many members on the books, but only about 65 regular attendees. 

[1desperateladysaved]

The Lord doesn't forsake, for sure, is kind  when others are carrying one in prayer too.

[IrishHeart]

   God speaks to all of us in the language we can understand - mine is laughter, i guess... 

 

 

 

amen.  me too, Arlene. me too. And I think God must have the biggest sense of humor of all.