Then you go somewhere, you have gone for years. And you see these people, that you see weekly. All of a sudden, they become your "comfort zone." That place you fall, when you just can't go, any further. Our Church Family has become just that...
They are more than just the people we see weekly. The ones we pray with. And give peace to. The people we wave to. And smile at. They watch us every single week. The struggles we've carried. The pain on our face. And the sorrow, in our eyes.
We've ALWAYS gone to church. We've known certain people. Really well. For years and years. And others, we would just see at church. Wave at them. Smile. Give peace to. But we never knew their names. Never really talked to them. We knew very little about them.
And they were there, for my Mom and I, when no one else was. It was a struggle. The first time we went to church, after my Dad's passing. It had been just over 36 hours. Nothing felt right. Life was a blur. And all we did was cry...
Everything reminded us, of my Dad. And complete strangers, came and sat next to us. Held us. Let us cry. Comforted us. Prayed for us...
Before we knew it, people were taking us under their wings. Protecting us, as best as they could. They were living out God's words. The things we heard every week, in church. Now, they were living it.
And it has honestly, been such a comfort, every single week...to go to church. There are still tears. There is still a feeling of loss. And of heartache. But we are surrounded by the most AMAZING people!
We now see, lots of these people, during the week. Out in the community. Or they come by the house. On the bad days, they are comforting. Or like our deacon, try and make us smile. They have brought us food. Offered to help with yard work. And mostly, prayed for us.
It's funny. Really it is. Growing up, I always thought, going to church made our family stronger. It made us closer. It helped our love, flourish. But in reality, we were making our church stronger. Our faith made us strong. But our family, has made our church, such a strong and beautiful place.
You see, a church, is just a building. It's a place people go to worship. But when people are not there, it's just a building. It's the families, that go there, that make it strong. It's all the time, love, and prayer, that people put in, that make it such a strong place.
And somehow, all that work we put into the church...for all those years, is coming back to us. In terms of, people who love and care about us. If we miss a day at church, they are concerned. They come and look for us. If they notice, something is wrong, they try to make it right. They are always looking out for us.
And honestly, through this entire journey, it's been our church family...that has held us together. During my Dad's illness, they prayed for us. Our priest would visit us regularly. When we'd go to church, they'd help us. Hold the door open. Get my Dad into church. Give a reassuring hug.
Over the last few months, it's been about care, comfort, and compassion. Something that our own family, has not shown us. Just goes to show, how close we really are. To these people, that we sit and pray with, every Sunday.
During the last 10 months, we've become more involved in church. We've gone on pilgrimages. Donated more time, to church. Become more involved. Supported the various groups. And in return, have become closer to these people. And to God.
It's not always easy. Life is hard. Losing loved ones, is almost impossible, to deal with. But God provides us, with exactly, what we need. Exactly, when we need it.
There are still familiar faces, with no names attached to them. But there are so many supportive hugs. Nice conversations. And so much prayer, that little things like names, don't matter. I truly, Thank God, for our Church Family! ❤
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