Why go to Church?

As many people have heard on the news, almost two weeks ago, two St. Petersburg, Florida Police Officers were shot and killed, just serving a warrant.  I happened to be off work that day, and followed every second of the news as this went on and on.  It was heartbreaking.  Though I do not live in St. Pete, I live very close, and just last June, we lost two more wonderful Tampa Police Officers.  I keep asking myself why, and how can this happen?  It's not for me to ask, I understand that, by it doesn't stop my heart for breaking for these people who put their lives on the line each and everyday to protect us.  To allow us, when we go to bed at night, keep us safe, in this not so safe world.  As our Governor of Florida was at the funeral of two other slain Officers in Miami, he got the word that two St. Pete police were shot and killed.  There is just something wrong when this happens over and over again throughout our country.  Not only do we have our brave soldiers fighting for our freedom and safety around the world, but we have this type of violence right here in our backyard.  I don't think I have cried so much as I have in the last two weeks for all this senseless violence and hatred towards others.


On more of a personal note, some know this, but many do not.  Both my parents abandoned me.  That is not a statement you hear much from an adult, but it being the truth.  My Father as a new born, and my Mother 15 years ago.  Though I reunited with my Father at the age of 16, and had a relationship with him up to five years ago when my brother passed away.  Both have stated that I wasn't wanted, and ruined their lives when they were so young.  I know that is their issue, not mine, but nonetheless, it hurts.  Both had remarried and have had other children. I admit sometimes feeling sorry for myself, as an adult woman, with a beautiful loving daughter of my own, why my parents chose to blame me for being born and want nothing to do with me, I cannot understand.  I know that it is their loss, and that their problems are not created because of me.  Their actions had a reverse effect on me, it has made me a strong, independent, caring, person and a loving Mother and wife, my family is everything to me.  For that, I wouldn't change anything.  My Grandparents raised me until I was three.  They were the most wonderful loving Christian people in the entire world, my angels.  They gave me my morals and compassion for mankind, and my love for God,  something no matter how bad the world can get around me, I won't change.  But, I also had numerous Aunts and Uncles, cousins, second and third cousins...a very large family.  Since I don't have this relationship with my Mother, one of her sisters, my Aunt has adopted me as her own daughter.  We are very close, and though she is 80, she sure doesn't look or act like it....she still drives, volunteers, travels, and is a "computer geek"...she is unreal.  When I get a little down, she is always there to pick me up, and make me realize how great of a life I have, a healthy and happy daughter, a wonderful loving husband, and so many things in my life, that so many others don't have, and remember my faith.  Well, today...I got this e-mail from her.  And, with all the sad news lately, and yes, I admit, I've been feeling a little sad about my parents as of late, I think because my birthday is coming up on the 9th of February. This e-mail from her, just really made me feel so much better.  Please take a few moments to read it, the very last paragraph is my favorite.  Very powerful!!! 


A Church goer wrote a  letter to the  editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no  sense to go to church every  Sunday... "I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and  in that time I have heard something like 203,000 sermons. But  for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So,  I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs  by giving sermons at all."

This started a real  controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone  wrote this clincher:

"I've been married for 30  years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals.  But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a  single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all  nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work.  If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone to church for  nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are  DOWN to nothing... God is UP to something! Faith sees the  invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual  nourishment!

"When  Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you  get that for me?"