"There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home."
Oh Dorothy, how right you were.
There is nothing like the feeling of coming home. Don't get me wrong, I love college and the church I'm attending there but there is something about seeing your family and attending church at your home congregation that like nothing else. This sunday I got to see so many people that I haven't seen in awhile, and it was so great to just be able to talk to them and hug them. I'm going to brag on my church for a few minutes, just because it is such an amazing place.
The atmosphere there is like nothing else I have experienced. There is a feeling of joy that you get as soon as you walk in. There are always people to talk to, even if you are a visitor. Burleson Church of Christ has the best church staff that I have ever seen. The ministers are amazing, and all work so well together. The elders truly care about the members and they always do what is best for the church-but not before praying about it. There are also so many people that do little stuff in the background that may go unnoticed, such as greeting visitors or praying for the people on the prayer list. All this to say, Burleson Church of Christ is a wonderful place that has always been such an encouragement to me. They do this awesome thing at Thanksgiving (and again at Christmas) where the members of the church donate food, which goes into baskets that go to the community. Today, I got the opportunity to help sort the food into baskets and then take them to the people's cars. During the sorting, the family minister, Kevin, had the kids line up and first get green beans and take them to the baskets, then get corn and take them, and so on and so forth. This way may take a little longer than other ways, but they do this so that the smaller children can feel as though they are helping (which they are). I really like this because the kids seem so excited to be a part and to help, and seeing an eagerness to serve in kids is so exciting to me. Kevin also encouraged and talked and joked the whole time (who gave him a mic, anyway? Just kidding, Kevin) and it was just an uplifting atmosphere, as everyone was laughing and supporting each other in the work. I also got to catch up with an old friend, which was so great. He told me about his life and his thoughts on college, and told me about other great stuff the church was doing. It is always so encouraging to talk to this friend, because he reminds me once again of how secure the future of the church is with leaders like him. I have known this guy almost my whole life, and is someone who is always there for people, no matter who they are. He is going to do so many great and wonderful things in life, and make such a difference in the world. Anyway, I digress. So after the baskets were filled people would come up to the church to pick up the baskets. The adults at the front greeting and signing people in were so amazing because they were just so warm and welcoming to everyone. There were people of all ages to help take baskets to the car, and everyone was just working so hard to help people they had never met before.
I have so many stories about so many people and what I saw today, but this post would be even longer than it already is. The point of it is, I saw God working in some incredible ways today, as I always do when I go to Burleson Church of Christ and interact with the people there. This congregation is the epitome of what a church should be-encouraging, warm, welcoming, prayerful, faithful... the list goes on. I miss the people here so much when I'm away-and that's how it should be.
Yes Dorothy, there is no place like home.
~Hannah~
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