Sunday Morning Lessons

        It was Sunday, she told me, and waking up that morning, or even the night before when she lay down, she worried over the fact that she had a life-consuming dream to write a book.  It wasn’t happening.  There was something missing, or perhaps something present, keeping her from realizing that objective. What could it be?    Racking her brain through the night and into the morning finally the word ‘courage’ beamed into her mind.  “I need courage.  I’m afraid.  Yes, it’s lack of courage that keeps me from working toward fulfilling my dream!”    She accepted the dredged up revelation and vowed to bury her fears in positivity - to be constant in her writing effort no matter her lack of self-confidence.
      Then an hour later, she was sitting in the pew at Galilee, and lo and behold Rev. Martin was in the pulpit preaching these words, “Have your dreams but they are likely to remain only dreams if you do not have . . . FAITH.   "Yes!"                                                         __    __    __    __    __    __    __

         

The next week, again Sunday morning, she returned to the house after the mornings walk with Pugslee, her bulldog. Instead of the pet following her down the driveway, where she would put his bagged business in the trashcan, he ambled up the steps onto the porch.  As she came alongside he stood there at the wrought iron railing peering down at her.  For a moment, she says they were looking directly into each other’s eyes through the black railing.  Pugslee’s solemn big brown eyes in his uniquely beautiful face touched her heart. 

      “Stay”, she said to her four-legged friend, “I’ll be back. God willing we will get to look into each other’s face again in a few minutes. God willing”, she repeated. At the same time, her thoughts darkened, considered the possibility she could have a stroke or heart attack and never know his face again, or him hers.  She says she shook off the negativity, quickly reminding herself  “you are aware now, not dead right now.  Enjoy this and each moment.”

      Two hours later, she was in the pew at Galilee listening to Rev. Martin’s morning sermon, “And Yet Are We Alive”.  She froze as she heard her Pastor, “We are alive, because of God’s mercy. We can look into each other’s face today because of His grace.”

WOW! For the second consecutive week, a current heartfelt personal conflict was explored in the Sunday sermon, strengthening her through a spiritual perspective. 

       I’m thinking it would be a good thing for her to be in church every Sunday.