Month 4: Costa Rica
How many of you can say you absolutely love going to church? When you’re there, are you focused on what’s being preached or are you busy thinking about the million other things going on in your life?
Maybe going to church is an obligation you feel like you have. I know for me church was an obligation for the first 20 years of my life.
When I was a kid, it bored me. When I was a teenager, I just wanted to go to church with my friends. And when I was in college I didn’t go because I was lost and had never seen the fruit of going to church.
When we were in Costa Rica, God completely rocked my perspective of church. We walked in and I went to sit in the back, not because I wanted a quick escape, but because that is where the translator was sitting. It gave me a great perspective.
As people filtered in and we began to worship, there was so much joy in this church. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt such an overwhelming joy at church. We were worshiping and I couldn’t understand a word of it, but I did understand the love flowing through the room.
My squad mate, Nikki, had a little girl wrapped up in her arms while my teammate, Jackie, sings to her. Kim, Taylor and Amanda are up on stage with the worship team and there is so much joy emanating from them! I look around the room and everywhere I look people are so excited to be here. They are completely wrapped up in the love of the Lord. No one is looking at their watch, wondering how long the church service will be. Each one of them is ready to receive the Holy Spirit and allow the Spirit to lead them in their day.
Church used to be an obligation or an expectation people had of me, which I also had of myself, but that didn’t stir a desire inside of me to go. But I didn’t know God nor understand how badly He wanted to get to know me.
The past 4 months I have begun to get to know Him and start to see the desires of His heart. I see how much He longs to have a relationship with me. I’m learning what it looks like to have a relationship with Him.
For me, that looks like spending time with God for more that just the hour and half I’d spend at church once a week. And because I’m spending more time with God, I’m excited to spend more time with Him. To join in with people and worship our God that loves each of us regardless of our sins and how we’ve tried to run and hide from Him.
He wants you.
He loves you.
When you’re ready, He’ll be there.
