Trusting Jesus – A Country Church

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Matthew 16:18 NIV

My doctor’s office lobby has one of the most beautiful paintings of an old white chapel in a field surrounded by bluebonnets. It covers the whole wall. I always try to get a seat facing that painting.

I often wonder if that was the church of the artist, or one that he or she came upon. I guess that is the old reporter in me.

One day as I waited for the lab to open, I sat in my favorite seat. The painting spoke to me in a different way. I imaged people from all walks of life entering that church on a Sunday morning. Each carried a burden. Once they stepped inside, they would be surrounded by believers.

I thought of hymns being lifted to God in praise for all the great things He has done. The song “The Church in the Wildwood,” echoed in my head. The prayers that had been lifted up from the pews, and the many tears that had fallen on the pages of the hymn books from people weeping for a lost loved one or rejoicing at a wedding filled my thoughts.

The church isn’t just a building; it is people. Through the years it remains a place that we can lift our hands in worship and prayer. Everyone is welcomed there. We are all broken, but when you walk through the doors a peace surrounds us. We know God is on the move. Jesus guides us to sit by a widow, who has come back to church for the first time since her spouse passed away because it was too painful to sit alone; or the single mom juggling children and multiple jobs to stay afloat financially; or the person who feels unloved because of past bad decisions. Conversing with them helps them feel a sense of belonging. Smiles emerge from the tears and fears. I am sure God smiles at the joy He is witnessing in His home.

Friend, get in fellowship with others. You never know whose life you will touch. We are all broken, but we know the One who can put all the pieces back together in ways you never imagined.

Mitzie Avera