Full of Love

That's how I feel sometimes when I am at Church.

I look around and I am filled with love for the people that are sitting next to me, standing beside me, behind me, in front of me....across the room from me.

I do. I know it sounds hokey, but sometimes I think about my church and faces of our congregation come to my mind and I smile because my heart is full of joy and love over them.

There are times when I even envision the day that Paul and I might be called to another church, and thinking of that last day of being at our "home" with our "family" will bring a rush of tears to my eyes.

You would think it would be just my closest friends that I would thinking about but it's not just them. Or you might think it would only be the people that are nice and kind, people who have done great things, or people who have been really good to us. And they are people I think about, but it's even more than that. It's everyone. It's even the people that 'chap my hide" (as I wrote earlier in the summer).

It's weird, but i can see their faces. Faces of our encouragers, our challengers, our friends, our parents of teenagers, our elderly and our staff. Oh how I love each person on our staff!

I can see the people that don't agree with us and the people that i know that probably gab about us behind our back.

I can see the people who I wish I got to know better and the people who I was only on a "hi" basis with.

I envision the children, the teenagers, the college students, the people that left our church and I envision the people that probably think I don't think much about them.....but I do.

I see the family we created with all those we were in small groups together.....and all those I wish we could have been in small groups together.

I even see the people that move quietly and don't like to be noticed....they are usually the biggest servants.

I see members of our choir and the amazing musicians that play every week.

I see them and not only do I see them, I hold them in my heart. I think of them and I thank God for each and every one of them.

It's amazing to me that I can really love all those people...flaws and all.....

Cause I do......and I smile.

Must be how God feels....