Just Another Day

This year, Easter is much like any other day around our house for a variety of reasons.

• My wife is recovering from surgery
• My father-in-law, who is bed-bound, lives with us
• Our church has asked that we no longer attend there, but find another place to worship
• My daughter has CIDP, and while doing well, her treatments consumed a lot of time this week
• Life

Alan Knox, who posts "Scripture...As We Live It" on his blog writes this for #203 here...

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. But, only accept those who esteem (or do not esteem) the same days as you. (Romans 14:5 re-mix)

I love his re-mixes, because I see a lot of truth in them. I know that there are some who would think it awful that we are not in church today. Yet my salvation is not based on my church attendance, even on Easter! Sorry for all of those who will be crowding into churches today just to get a few brownie points with God. I think that the saddest part of all of this is that most preachers and members will do their best to make these people feel welcome in hopes that they will join their church, but few will actually love them enough to preach the gospel to them in hopes that they might know Jesus.

My daughter (10) is sad because we have not had an Easter egg hunt or baskets or chocolate. She esteems this day higher than others, but for different reasons (or maybe not) than others. This will hopefully be a lesson on the true meaning of Easter for her as well. We have discussed our handling of Easter with both daughter and son (also 10), and will do so more as the day goes on.

So today is much like any other day, a day where we set apart Christ as Lord as we always should, but also a day where we deal with many of life's issues. Even though this week has been Spring Break for us, I have had to deal with carrying the burden of the housework as well as the extra burden of caring for my wife and taking care of my daughter's treatments (2 this week, and they take about 7 hours each.) So I cannot take a complete Sabbath rest today, as I still have planning to do for school tomorrow.

I guess my point is this, it is hard on me not to go to church today, not to have a fellowship to call home. But the place I was going was not really a place of fellowship. We hope to find a place soon, and even have a potential place we want to visit. I have listened to one of the pastor's sermons there, and he seems to have a solid grasp on Scripture. My old self tells me that I am being bad today. That I should be doing more, finding a way to go to church. But my new self tells me that it is okay. God is in control of my circumstances and He knows my heart.

And I would rather be home under these circumstances than to be in church going through the motions of obligation without my heart being attached to God. I pray for those in church today, that God would reach down and touch them, that He would use something to stir up their hearts toward Him in real worship.