Proceed with Caution

   We left our church almost a year ago. It was not my choice. In fact, it was an arguing point between me and my husband for months. I tried every persuasive avenue to convince him to change his mind. When that didn't work I unleashed my pent up frustrations and just flat out told him that he was wrong! I honored his decision with my actions, but my mind was not in agreement, and my heart was hopeful that this would all pass and life would get back to normal.
   I strongly dislike change. I much prefer predictability, and my world felt threatened. As we started visiting other churches, we each had different expectations in mind. He was searching for the place where our family could all be involved and grow together. I was pretty sure that what we would find would simply confirm my belief that we should have never moved on in the first place.
   The first Sunday we attended one particular church, we sat in the back. Waaayyy back! I was hoping nobody would talk to us and we could just check that one off of the list. We left as soon as the service ended, and I thought it was over. Then the pastor started calling and talking to us. I blurted out everything that I thought would deter him from connecting with us. I wanted to make sure he knew what a mess we are and that he certainly didn't want us to be a part of his church. He still called. He showed up when we were filming video footage for our band and hung out with us a while. I greeted him with a smile, but wondered why he had come to support us when he barely knows us.
   He called me one day and after a 20 minute conversation about wiener dogs, I texted my brother in law and said "Why does he have to be so nice? I am trying really hard not to like him". Then I met his wife and was immediately sucked into the vortex of genuine love and kindness that oozes from her. The night of our CD release party, they slipped into the back room where we were gathered with band members and joined in as we prayed. It moved me beyond words. Despite every horror story we have told them, every struggle that we have been brutally honest about, every doubt spoken about our ability to do what we feel God has called us to....they still make the effort to connect with us. The more I am around them, the more I like them. The more I like them, the more I want to be around them. Hmmmm..... Maybe my hubby was right all along. Just don't tell him I said that.  Shhhhhhhh!