Unanticipated joy

Today I went to church, as is my usual routine for Sunday mornings. I went with a heavy heart. There's no serious crisis in my life at present, but the little things are all building up and it makes life seem grim.

The scripture was Mark 1:40-45 -- the story of Jesus healing a leper. Rev. Jann talked about compassion and the need we all have to be touched. I didn't come in the best frame of mind this morning. I guess I needed that touch, too. I heard the sermon during first service, then I went to Sunday School. During the second service, the little kids were ringing the bells. Little Stephanie just doesn't get it that she's only supposed to ring at certain times and so she just jingles and jingles the whole time. She dances and she doesn't watch the director at all, but we all just love her. Well, when that part was over, she was supposed to sit with her Grandpa, and he struggled to get her to sit. She escaped and I opened my arms and caught her as she flew down the aisle. She wanted to sit on my lap on my scooter. That was so good for me. I needed to sit there and hug little Stephanie. We didn't listen to the sermon, but snuggled and admired her valentine candies. She whispered to me, "I like turch." (Translation - turch means church) Stephanie was Jesus to me this morning.

A few weeks back, a morning devotion asked me, "Who do you expect to meet when you go to church? How would it be different if you expected to meet Jesus?" I wonder how our churches would be changed if more of us went to meet Jesus.