Presentation

I attended church this weekend and celebrated my seventh wedding anniversary. As it was a special occasion, I took extra time to look nice. Growing up, we always dressed in our "Sunday best" for church, then changed after getting home into playclothes. There is nothing wrong with wanting to dress nicely for church. In fact, I anticipate every Sunday as a chance to get dressed up-my stay-at-home life doesn't call for much dressiness. I usually dress practically for the chores/playing with my girls.

During the service, I was observing people in attendance. We meet outdoors for the summer and this was our first regular indoor service. I saw a lot of new faces and shamefully, I felt a bit of snobbiness soley based on appearance. Some of the new people seemed unpolished, and looked as though they had perhaps been through some hard times before coming to church. This was wrong and I was quickly convicted by the sweet, gentle Holy Spirit as I watched a young lady during the worship time.

She had a contagious joy during the worship-and I am pretty sure she was a new Christian. Most of the time, a new Christian is unhindered in their emotion as they rejoice in their newfound faith and hope. She was ecstatic while clapping and singing, and I couldn't help wishing I had her energy and excitement. At a later point in the service, we had open communion and she was weeping loudly while others comforted her.

At this point, I recalled the rebuke to the Pharisees that Jesus gave. He called them whitewashed tombs.
As I remembered the story, He called to my mind that God looks at the heart. "Tammy, you spent all that time preparing your appearance, but did you prepare your heart today?" What good is it to look presentable if you are not presentable inside?
How thankful I was that it was a communion Sunday and that I could ask forgiveness, then take the elements as a remembrance of God's grace and forgiveness for our prideful hearts (and all other shortcomings we have).

There is so much yet that I must learn as I walk in God's grace, but I am thankful to have friends like you to help me on my way. I am turning 30 next month and in some ways I feel grown up, but this was a reminder that I am still very young and immature in some ways-and that God will be faithful to complete His plans for me if I will yield to His leading.

~Tammy