I’ve been Raised!
The old adage goes ‘It takes a Village to raise a Child’ . . . but it can also be said that ‘It takes a Church to raise a Christian.’
Believe me I know.
Recently, at altar call, I watched a man literally run down the aisle to the altar. A tear broke free and ran down my cheek as I watched him reach the altar and fall down to pray.
I am a Christian.
I will always be a Christian in Training, but tonight I knew in my heart that I am a Christian. When the pastor said, “With all heads bowed, and with all eyes closed, raise your hand if you know that you are saved.”
For the first time in my life I was able to raise my hand when I heard those words and knew that it was true. I am saved. I am a Christian and it took a ‘Church’ to raise me.
You see, several years ago when I came here. I didn’t believe. I knew better. I scoffed, I scorned. I argued and I fought. But I was changed.
Music helped raise me. Brother Tom and Tara ‘Queen of the Piano Stool’ (Tara, you can thank Cynthia for that one!) brought tears to my eyes and me to my knees at the altar one Memorial Day when they sang ‘I Have been Blessed’. Another time the choir brought me to my feet singing ‘Jesus Saves’. All of those hymns and songs that I resented then I now quietly hum to myself and call them favorites.
As I grew, I was taught. Knowledge was shared freely by Doug, Lee Ann, Hobert and others. I had to throw out all the garbage that I had picked up through innuendo and uninformed opinion and learn the real truth about things like ‘Sanctification’ and ‘Salvation’. But it wasn’t until Doug and Eddie ganged up on me (unknowingly on their part of course) and taught me about the Holy Spirit did I come to understand that I was still ‘Saved’.
I became a part of the family. This is where the biggest change came. The Bible explains it:
1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV states – Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
I like the way the New Living Translation version of this verse reads –
1 Corinthians 3:16 NIV – Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in (Alternate ‘among’) you?
It takes a Church! We are the Church! When we get together, God shows up!
That’s why when I began to join in the fellowship things really started falling into place. I saw more and more things. I learned more. As with any family, there is joy and I was able to laugh with them. At other times there has been sadness and I have cried with them too.
I saw Christians leading by example. For the first time in my life, I saw Christians being Christians. Real. Unadulterated. Christians. They inspired me. They invited me to help them help others. They began by letting me cook eggs and bacon and sausage…
So you see, when that man went down to the altar this evening, I celebrated in my heart because he was going to talk to the Lord down there and I cried a little tear because God had let me in the teeny tiniest of ways have something to do with his journey to get there.
Thank you Father.