Living the life of a missionary child/teenager, church was the main focus of my life. My family attended church every Sunday morning and evening, and Wednesday evening. Like clock work. Although church was the center of our family, I dreaded it a lot of the time. Yes, there were sometimes it never bothered me, but most of the time I never wanted to go. But I went like I was told and that's how life was. I wasn't a rebellious child, my parents didn't know that I never wanted to go.
After every service at my home church, I would quickly grab my things and head to the van. If I moved fast enough to the back door my friends wouldn't have time to stop me to talk or pull me away to play dodge ball in the gymnasium. Most of the time, I succeeded. Racing out to the van where I was alone with my book of choice, reading with a flashlight until my parents were finished talking and ready to go home.
Now services at other churches were a little bit different. Traveling around on deputation, raising support for our ministry, I couldn't exit to the van as usual. That would be rude. So I stayed attached to my Mother. Standing there like a deer in the headlights, I didn't say a word or move a muscle unless Mom did. I was so shy that its kind of embarrassing looking back now.
Please don't misunderstand me. I loved, loved, loved being a missionary child and traveling around on deputation. That was a highlight in my life that I will cherish and never forget. I never knew who God truly was or appreciated the church or what was happening there. The traveling, yes, the service, no.
Then April 26th, 2020 happened.
Saved by grace, indwelled by God Himself. How could I NOT love church and the services.
Since then I have traveled to camp meetings, mission conferences, revivals, spur of the moment services... I can't get enough. My church, Metropolitan Baptist Church, just came out of Mission Conference this week. Tonight will be the first night I haven't been in a services or around my church family since last Saturday. And I don't know what to do with myself. Well, I know what I'll be doing, I'll be at work. But I'd rather be in church.
Sunday morning cannot come fast enough! Sundays have become my favorite day of the week. Being in church all day and around my church family and friends, can it get any better than that?
I have a camp meeting scheduled for next week. Traveling there as much as I can between life and my work schedule. Looking back I wish this is how I felt during my family's deputation. But that was impossible without God in my life.
You can go to church, you can serve in the church, you can be the missionary child...and not know God for who He truly is. I lived 27 years of my life thinking I knew who God was and went with the motions. But now...now I truly know who He is and I can't get enough of Him. If you don't know who God truly is, why don't you find out. You will not be the same and He will make your life amazing because He will be the center of it.
This past week has wore me out. Between a full-time job, mission conference every night, and staying up late to talk to the missionaries and my friends...I am exhausted. My flesh is. My spirit is awake and alive! If that's what it takes to be closer to God...
…then so be it.