Church is Spiritual?

Church, it's that thing we do on Sunday, when we gather up the family and head out the door for that hour or so of God time for the week. Church, where we talk to friends that we haven't seen or had time to talk to much casue life seems to get so busy. Then Sunday comes along and time to get up early and put out time in, something that we do weekly, or for some daily. Yet, what is church? It is a so much more then a physical place that we come to weekly to worship and hear about the good things of God! Is it a place of peace, refreshing, and rest, or is it just a building we attend to satisfy the husband or wife?

Church is basically what we make of it. It is or can be such a wonderful spiritul experience or it can be just routine, something we do. It is one place that we know for a fact that Heaven is brough down to earth for a short or long time depending on how long the service is or how long the pastor / preist feels lead to talk to the congeration. It is when the angels come and surround us with their presence, when the Holy Spirit fills the room and all of the Lord's goodness is all aournd you. Church is when we reach out and grab that small piece of heaven to cling to get through the rough times during the week. It is where we renew our strength, our hope and find that true everlasting love. A time where we sit in the presence of the Lord, if we recongize Him or not He is there in the mist of His believers.

Church is in a sense a true spiritual experience. It is when our spirit is freely able to reach out to God, without us trying to hold it back or fight all that is going on. We tend to relax more in Church and look for that sense of peace that we all have in our lives, a time when we feel at home and settled, at peace with all that is going on around us even if it is just for an hour when we are there focusing on the Lord.

Church is something that we attend or run to in our time of need, because we know that the Lord is there and we want His help and guidance in the things that we are experiencing. It is also a place that we find others who are seeking God, prayer warriors and people that we are able to turn to because they would understand how all these things play into our faith. Simply, because the believe and worship in the same manner that we do. There is a sense of family in a church community, a place where we are able to be ourselves and not have to worry if the pastor or priest is going to love us or like us. It is a place where we feel the love of Chirist in the church but as well through others that we know in the church.

It is a sacred place that we are always safe, and feel loved at all times, no matter what has happendd in the past 10 minutes. It is a safe haven for many. It is a place where they are able to freely share thie emotions, feeling with the pastor or priest and not be in fear of being rejected or looked down upon, but rather loved and guided in the things of the Lord.  It is a place that we run to for prayer, and hope in times of need. Somewhere we know that we can to turn to no matter what is happening now or at 3 am, that when we call and need them they are there for us as their congration. The pastor / priest is just a phome call away and they will come out to the hospital at 3am to be there to show God's love and guidande, comfort to those that are His children. They hold the hand of the dying souls, and the hands of the ones who are grieving the lost of the loved ones. They are there through tears of joy, the birth of a new child or the adoption of that special soul into the family. They baptise the child and the adults, and love to watch the Grow, not only physically but spiritually.

Church is a spiritual place, let go and reach out to God and see all that He has to offer to you in that small hour service. Take His hand and lean on His, find that joy, comfort and peace that you so long for, it is all there for His children. All yo have to do is say Yes to God and walk with Him.

Transformation

In every moment we begin again, or the opportunity to start anew. That in that moment there is an opportunity for transformation and healing to flow through us and our soul. In those moments we are aware of the thoughts and feelings that are surrounding us in the moment. We take in all the sights, sounds and feel all that is in us and in our soul. We open ourselves up to the world that is so hidden within, that we all hide so well from the rest of the world. In that world, the pain and the hurt reside. It is here that they hide, and are packed so well into little boxes that we tend to forget about them until something stirs and then they begin to open.

When the opening starts, we have the chance to live in the moment and start the process of healing the wounds, or to slowing take all the little broken pieces and shove them back into the box. It is then that we get the strongest tape we have and tape it close after stapling all the seams together. After all what we have hidden, no one is to see. It is the pain of the wounds that run so deep that we cannot imagine life without that agony. We hate the hurt, yet cannot image what it is like to function without that hole in our hearts, because it is a part of who we are now. It is a part of us; our personality, our livelihood, and it effect how we live every moment of our live if we realize it or not. This box cannot be opened!

Yet, it starts to open, the staples that are holding it close start to rust, and crumble. Then we look again and see that the seams are coming apart under the tape. Lastly we see that the box is not as sturdy as it once was when we took all the brokenness and place it there when the event that hurt us occurred. Rather, now it is all coming back, the emotions, the memories and we are feeling broken once again. Yet, this time we are not able to find that box to shove it in so we can hide and tell all that we are ok.

Rather, the moment has come where we are ready or think we are ready to start to deal with all that is broken. Time has come when we are willing to heal, and run to safety. It is in this moment we find the arms of Jesus wide open saying come my child, come unto me and I will help you with all that pain and brokenness. It is in this moment that we being transformation and the healing process begins. It is slow, but the Lord is there with the Love and the guidance that we need to walk the path of emotional healing. He understands what it is like to hurt, after all He wept when his one dear fried died. Jesus is there in a heartbeat, to help you heal. His arms are there for comfort, love and help you when you are broken and are not sure all the pieces are there still in the box. His love will place them back together and begin to heal your heart.

He give us His words in scripture, in worship songs so that we may draw unto him when we hurt and feel so wounded, that we can no longer express words. He is there with a thought, he comes and His comfort follows. His love guides us to others who have been there and know the pain that we hold onto, they can relate to all that we are going though, they have the words to pray with you in those times of need. There are priest and pastors who care deeply about you are their sheep in the large flock. They too have the words of comfort, they are there to help you heal, to show you the love that is all around you when you are feeling so broken that you are not sure what to say , or when the tears come tumbling down. They understand the pain, and are willing to walk with you so your heart can be healed by the Heavenly father if you are willing to say "yes" to him. Come and walk with him" , pray to him even if is as simple as "help me Lord" or "God I need you". He is there willing and wanting to heal all that is in you if we are willing to ask Him for His help. We are able to let go of the pain, the shattered pieces and trade them in for a new picture that is all together. Jesus is there waiting to help and heal your heart if you are willing to reach out to him in your time of need.

Ground Control

There is something to be said for being grounded; when we are young it was something that we often hated the thought of, because we saw it as a horrible punishment. Yet as an adult we wouldn't mind being grounded. It would be lovely to have that freedom from all the chaos that surrounds us on a daily basis. A time to sit back and reflect not only on the day, but also what is to come that evening home. A quiet dinner, time to play with our children, time to spend talking and enjoying the company of the spouse. It is a time where we able to find balance, when we take the time to stop and reflect on all that has happened around us, to us and in our community.

It is a time when we are able to slow down, and really see what is happening. This is a time when we are able to focus on what is really important to us and to our family. It can be a time when we stop focusing on the little things and start to see the bigger picture. In the quietness of life is when we can come to God with the hassles of the daily commitments and stress that often follows us throughout the day. It is in that quiet moment we can draw to God, and sit in His presence and really absorb what He wants to us. He is there reaching out, in the quiet time of prayer and relaxation. He is able to reach us when we are not looking, by sending a person to comfort, love, or simply spend some time with us.

God is there, even when we cannot see Him working on our behalf, He is there. He listens to each and every prayer; he sees all the tears, knows our fears and is willing to come to us as His children in the matter of a single heartbeat. God is there sitting in the chair of Ground Control, waiting for you to ask for His guidance, His help, His love, His comfort. He has the angels there waiting and ready to assist and guide the plane, the car or just give us direction during the day. He can help give us the words to say to a co worker that is hurting but is too ashamed to share, or have us hug someone we know cause they are feeling that no one really cares. He is there to help us walk the Christian walk, so that we are able to show His love to those that are there around us. God is able to show us things in prayer, dreams that will allow us to help a stranger in need or a distant family member who is missing someone at that moment. God is willing to help, guide and walk with us through this life so we are not alone. He is always near, because we are told in His Word that He will never leave us nor forsake us.

God is there in the ground control chair, just waiting for your prayer, your cry for help, your praise, and your concerns of the day. He has the means to help you make it through the day that seems to never end. He is there when the bosses are yelling and there is nothing you can do but nod. Yet, it is then that you feel so low, and unworthy of all things that you would rather hide under the desk then to have to face the world. It is hard to face all that the world is throwing at you with all that you have to be to so many people. All that you have to achieve daily to feel like you really made a difference. Yet, with God on your side you are able to walk with your head held high because you know He is in ultimate control, and you are safe there in His hands. We know as His children that we are loved and that our sense of worth is grounded in Heavenly thing and no one can take that from us, because we are children of the Heavenly Father, the King!