Come on...Don't Give Up!

From the words of Peter, through the mouth of my Poppi...

2 Peter 1:3-11

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has give us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control, perseverance, and to perseverance, godliness, and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have htem, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Sorry I have not been keeping up to date with this. The last half (4 weeks) of my classes have been crazy busy. So busy that I have had to skip church on Sunday night and Wednesday night so I can get things done. But, praise God, I finished my LAST test for my college career last Sunday!!! Phew! I finished Acts and Philosophy, and I even got an A in Acts (after failing it once and withdrawling from it the other time, I'm ashamed to say). But I passed!!!! Now, I just have one more class, Inductive Bible Study, which I am stoked about taking. It's just teaching me how to study the Bible more deeply. I'm excited about it. It'll be like doing a Bible study for a grade! I am now officially counting down till graduation...59 days! Yikes, ok this sounds better...less and 2 months!!! 

Well, now that I updated you on my school, here's the real reason for the blog. 

I went home to Michigan this past weekend. It's kinda my "spring break". I don't have classes this week, but I still have to work. Boo. So I decided take a long weekend and go home. I'm real glad I did too. It was a great, relaxing weekend away from the city. Even though it rained the ENTIRE time I was there (except Monday), it was still a really great time to be with my parents and be in a familiar place again. To be honest, I get kinda homesick sometimes. 

I got there on Saturday around noon and my mom picked me up from the Detroit (yes, I am from an hour north of there). After that, we went to see my Granny (mom's mom) at the nursing home...which will probably be another blog soon to be written. Saturday, we just ran some errands and chilled at the house with some AMAZING chinese food. I mean, really, you haven't had chinese food until you've had Carrie Lee's. Goodness, it's the best! 

On Sunday, I went to my parents church at Lake Orion Baptist Church. It was nice to see old friends and people I grew up with. This wasn't the church that I grew up in however. My parents started going there, I think, when I left for Pensacola. Well, it's always nice to go there and see familiar faces again. Though, I totally embarrassed myself by snorting after my mom made me laugh during their Sunday School...thanks Mom! 

This is where I get to the point of my blog...

Sunday night, I decided that I wanted to go to my old church, the one that I was born into. Seriously, I was. My grandparents went there and were well-known throughout the church. My Poppi taught Bible and English at the school that we used to have there, Oxford Christian Academy. I remember, whenever I would see my old Pastor after the services on Sunday, he would remind me that he was there when I was born in the hospital. I grew up there. It was my home. I grew up in the school from Kindergarten till high school graduation. I was in youth group, I served, I cried...a lot (Meg can tell you. She watched me in the nursery). I "got married" there. I walked the aisle after the service. I was baptized there, twice. (that's another story for another time) I played the piano...and then ran out crying because I messed up. I was in plays on that stage. I sang for the Christmas specials. I remember after school my best friend, Bethany, and I would hang out in the auditorium and we would practice our "preaching" at the pulpit taking turns and then evaluate each other in how we did. I'm not sure what on earth we would talk about though. There are countless memories that I have there.

I don't know if this happens to you, but if you've been in a place for so long, you know it's smell and the sounds and the sites. It all came rushing back to me when I got out of the car Sunday night. The smell, the sounds, everything came back to me. Anything I looked at reminded me of something. We got in and talked with some friends and then we sat down. My mom had this thing of sitting in the back few rows every church service--that was my family's row. So guess where we sat, the same place...only I think it was a few more rows back than normal. My mom will tell you the reason why too. It has something to do with me crying during a church service and having to take me out. So ever since then, we sat in the way back of the church. Yep, just call us Back Row Baptists. (for the record, I don't sit in the back any more. I can't pay attention if I do.) My parents still sit in the back row though. I really don't know why, they don't have any kids they will have to take out. 

So we sat down and the church service started and the same person who was leading music when I was there, was leading music that night, Mr. Steiner who would give me candy out of his coat pocket on Sunday mornings.  The same ladies played the piano and organ. They were all there. Just like I remembered. It was sweet. It was the same pews, the way the felt when you sat down. The same stain-glass windows I used to wish were normal windows so I could look out at the soccer field during the service. I kept looking at everything and recalling different memories of it all. But what really struck me were the people that were there. Who I am so thankful for.   As I was sitting there, I was thinking about the people that were still there, being so faithful to the church and to the preaching of the Word of God. I couldn't help but think of the Perseverance of the Saints. I was glad to see they were there. That's why the verse at the top is so fitting. Every person sitting in that church service that night has the mark of a true disciple of Christ. They were adding to their faith and were diligent and faithful in doing so. They aren't "dating" other churches. They remained steadfast and sure of where God has placed them. They have given their time and money and effort into that church, and I'm sure God will reward them in Heaven. These are the people who have set an example of running the race and finishing it strong. They aren't just staying faithful to a church building, though. They are staying faithful because of the preaching of the Word that is done there every Sunday. (Thanks, Pastor Jim, for doing this!)  This is the thing that will last. The building will fall for it's made from human hands, but the the Word of the Lord will stand forever. The world can't understand such faithfulness. The world wouldn't understand why any of us would want to give our time for the service of the church, but as Christians, we know. We understand. They are there, as the rest of us are in our own churches, to build the kingdom of God. We are there to be fed the Word of God, faithfully. We are there to be prepared to meet the Bridegroom when he comes. 

It's encouraging to see faithfulness of the saints. I see it in my own church as well with older members who have been here waaaaaay before my senior Pastor has started. They have seen the highs and the deep lows of the church and have also seen the Lord show his faithfulness by continually adding to the church even now. 

Sometimes, the Christian life isn't so easy. It's difficult. There are trials and things we don't expect, as the Bible promises us. We are persecuted, we are torn down, we have been beaten emotionally and physically. We wonder what is God doing by allowing this to happen to his Beloved. Sometimes, it's even tempting to give up. But be thankful for the examples we have of those who are faithful to the preaching of God's Word, who are faithful to stay close to the course God has called them on. Be thankful for the saints in my current church who could have given up, but stayed with it and have seen how good God is. Be thankful for the examples we have in the Bible through the ministry of the apostles and their perseverance. God is good to remind us not to give up. Come on...don't give up. He's here. Take a look at Christ! He was the ultimate perseverer. What would have happened if he said, "no, that's it. This is too hard! I'm leaving." Well, we would have no hope. We would all be lost in our sin. Thank God, we do have a hope through the enduring love of Christ. 

♥