I'm going to handle this post a little differently than most. I'm going to start the post, but I'd really like the people who read this blog to help me finish it. I will point out three things that we normally complain about and show how they are really blessings in disguise, hence the title. I'd really like to get to 12 different things that on the surface may look like annoyances, but aren't as bad as they seem. So if you know of one or two, please add them in the comments of this post.
Children crying in church:
I know that a child crying or acting out during a church service can be an enormous distraction, and that child's parent will either try to ignore it, deal with it or take them out of the service, and it's not until they are dealt with that they cease to be a distraction. These distractions can cause turned heads and in some cases even sour spirits, however there's more here than just annoyance.
Our children, even when they are not behaving, represent a future for the church. They are our legacy, and a reminder of the good things that God has done for us. They represent a special type of growth in the church and it is a blessing for them to be born in the church. Our children are gifts and when they act out, even when we are talking about other people's children, it's good to remember the joy and happiness a child can bring.
Talking in church:
Again I'm bringing up a distraction in church, but when I see some people whispering it reminds me of the bonds that we have. Our churches aren't made up of people who only see each other once a week and never have anything else to do with each other ever. Our churches are closely knitted families, and a little whispering, when it's not excessive or distracting, can even be healthy. It reminds me that we are truly brothers and sisters.
Stormy seas:
If we never had rough times, how would we know we needed God? If we never had a problem, how would we learn to rely on Him? No one likes these times in our lives, but if you're going through a stormy sea and you don't know what to do then you need that stormy sea to remind you that God is in control. If we never felt we needed to lean on Jesus, it's likely we never would. Sometimes rough times are there so that we learn to trust in God more, and the more we trust God, the better we are equipped to handle rough times.
Well, that's three blessings in disguise. I'd really like some of your thoughts on this, so please add some comments to this post and help me today, and I promise tomorrow I'll be back to writing another post like normal.
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Church cleaning:
ReplyDeleteIt always seems that my team's turn to clean the church always comes at the most inconvenient time. Whether it is illness, or going out-of-town, or maybe something as minor as not really feeling like having to do it or the weather being especially nice, there seems to always be some reason (or "reason") why taking an hour out of my Saturday to clean mirrors, scrub toilets or push a mop is not really what I want to do.
But the upside is that, every seven weeks I get to spend an hour (maybe it's just 45 minutes) putting some physical exertion into maintaining the place where I meet with God's family to worship our Lord, and to be encouraged, taught and loved. There's something about putting a little muscle into the upkeep of "my" church-house that contributing to the offering plate just doesn't do. Cleaning a toilet can be an act of worship as much as playing my instrument during service or raising my hands in praise. In addition, working with my brothers and sisters on the cleaning crew brings me closer to them and makes me appreciate them more.