Me and My sister, Debbi, go to church with our Mom!

I need to start off by saying that I am not the person you need to be sitting with if it is somber, sad, people are being 'peopley' or boring.  I really do not know what gets in me, but one thing I know, laughing at a funeral isn't the place to be laughing so hard you shake. Sitting at a Thanksgiving table while someone is praying isn't the time either.  And for good measure, I will throw in that sitting in church while your mom is talking/preaching isn't a good time either.

I just need to say that if you are easily offended at any of these things, you may want to skip my story!

SO MY CHURCH (BRAT) STORY begins

This story goes back at least 15+ years ago around Mother's Day, so I was well into adulthood lol.  

My mom was speaking at a Mother's  Day service/dinner.  She told me and my sister, Debbi, that "all she wanted for Mother's Day was for us to go with her to the meeting."  So, I am thinking, we can skip the gifts, right, this is all you want? Found out later, nope that wasn't the case! lol 

Let me just fill you in on my sister, Debbi.  She is nothing like me, so it is easy to get her in trouble in circumstances she would normally be ok in.  She is laid back, softer spoken, and much better at keeping her composure than I am.  However, when she is with me, she instantly changes into a person I do not know, but I love!  lol 

I knew this particular church my mom was speaking at from my childhood. When I found out where it was at, out of courtesy, I asked, "Mom are sure you want me to go?" Emphatically it was a "yes!"  So I told her "ok, but you have been warned, I am not sure what will happen, you know how I get when things are not as 'kosher' as they should be." But she said that is all she wanted is for us to be together. Oooookkkkkay! 

So we agree to go. When we got there, mom was introducing us as her daughters and seemed proud to do it!

We all went in together, sat together, stood to sing together.   So far --- so good.  Maybe this will just be the run-of-the-mill Mother's Day service and I could behave myself for a few hours.  I kept telling myself "no matter what happens, you are an adult, you are here representing your mom and sister, my family, you can do this..." But could I... I mean have you met me?  

The service began with 2 people singing!  Ok, this is good, we are starting - we are singing! 

Well, the first thing that got my attention was the alto was harmonizing in a different key and would go up when the lead would go down, so the lead would go down to catch her and the alto would go up trying to catch the lead.  They would exchange looks like the other one is ruining the song but kept on singing, off-key, like no one, would notice.  The poor organ player was trying to follow both of them...so I look at Deb smiling.  Not making fun, but just wondering who would win the key they would pick!  Deb saw me and shook her head, "No!"  I shook my head, "Oh yeah, you hear and see it, too!"  She looked and moved over away from me, so I moved closer to her! 

She gave me a warning look (yeah, like that works, ask my mom) and took a few steps away from me.  Well, you know I love her and all and I just wanted to be with her, so still giggling, I took a few steps to her!  She tried to ignore me, but ya'll know, that is hard to do!  So the real story begins.

I need to tell you, I never plan these things, they just organically happen when I am in a place.  Any place, really! 

As we were dancing around the pews (really her trying to get away from me -- and I want to say, now -- Ummm, how hurtful! lol) suddenly, the singing stopped.  I stopped and thought, oh now we can sit and I will be able to get my composure back.

Well, nothing ever works out the way you think they will.  The singing did stop, but a lady got the mic and started praying.  Ok, that is good, I will just pray along with her and get Jesus on my mind and forget the singing battle I just witnessed. But noooooo....that is NOT what happened.

This lady started praying and I bowed my head to pray and ask God to forgive me because I wasn't being my best! 

Then I listened to her.  She was "tattle praying" on everyone she knew.  You guys know what "tattle praying" is, right?  This lady is telling it all!  

She was praying for her neighbor because when her husband left for work and there was another man in a "red truck" (or whatever color it was) who would pull up to her house- she wanted us to pray that they would find Jesus.  She prayed that the man's wife (called out by name) wouldn't find out or the woman's husband (called out by name) because that would cause an awful mess.  She began to "tattle pray" on so many people! I couldn't help but listen because at this point I was invested! lol 

Well, I was just losing it when I figured out that this prayer was really a "spiritual gossip session."  She was praying and gossiping at the same time, now, that takes talent! 

When it began to sink in what she was doing, I began to laugh, not giggle, but hysterically laugh.  I couldn't pull myself together.  Mom gave me a "warning look" and that made it funnier.  Here I am a grown adult and was getting "the look" from my mom and I looked up and my sister had the same look.  I thought it was all so hilarious, I had to sit down in a pew to get my thoughts "under subjection" because I was totally losing it. 

When I sat down, Deb comes and sits beside me (I mean at this point she is asking for it) I think she was trying to tell me to leave or get it together. By this time, I had my head down in my hands laughing, now the tears are streaming down my face.  I grabbed her hand and did a little "Pentecostal shake" and she started snickering, and that made it even funnier.  Now we are both sitting with our heads down.  Then I heard a snort come from Debbi. At this point I am shaking I was laughing so hard.  I wanted to leave but didn't trust myself to get up and make it out of the room without collapsing in a heap of laughter on the floor.  So, I stayed seated.

Just as I thought I had it under control, a lady comes behind me and lays her hand on me and was blessing me!!!! (oh no she didn't) 

" Lord bless her, Lord she is feeling You and I can feel her shaking. Yes, Lord pour out Your spirit on her."  

Ok, you guys have to know what this did to me.  I was almost on the floor laughing.  I glanced at Debbi and she was in a heap of laughter, too. Seeing that made me not be able to breathe!!!!  Then more ladies gathered to pray because we were being so "blessed by the Lord."  

I honestly do not know how I got through it.  It seemed like it was forever (but probably only a few minutes) and I was out of breath, my side was hurting and I could hear Deb having the same problem. She was trying to smack at me and was saying, "Stop it, you have to stop it.  Wendy, stop it, I mean it!" But she was laughing trying to say it to me. So that was no help!

Finally, the ladies left us.  My mom got up to preach and she had an eagle eye on me.  Now, again, it was Debbi, too! But I got the eagle, (evil) eye from my mom! lol 

I eventually got composed enough to go out in the foyer to calm myself.  Here comes Deb right behind me. She was still trying to get herself pulled together, too, which is usually easy for her.  When she could finally speak to me it goes something like this, "I will never, ever sit beside you again in church.  You are awful." Uh, ok, Deb, but didn't I see you in the same shape I was in? lol. We finally got it together and went back in and the rest of the service was pretty uneventful (comparatively).

After the service, they served food in the kitchen.  As we were walking together, mom couldn't even look at me.  Which I found funny!  So we eat and talk and get up to leave.  As we were going out the main doors, she looked at me (but not her favorite child, Debbi) and said, "I will never ask you to come with me again!  I don't know what you were doing, but...(she couldn't even finish the sentence).  Then I heard her mumbling something like, she warned me, this is my fault, I just had to ask her... lesson learned!  

Just for future references, when you come with a warning, you shouldn't be allowed out in serious situations!

WHAT'S ON MY MIND?  GLAD YOU ASKED!

As I was remembering this story, it made me start thinking about Mother's Day.  Then I started thinking about the women of the Bible.  Not the ones we hear about all the time, but the ones we don't.  Not the Deborahs, Esthers, Sarahs, Marys, or the Jezebels.  But the ladies that do not get a lot of attention and their stories told.

I thought about Rahab the Harlot (on Mother's Day no less lol) she had no teaching about the God that created the universe. She was raised in a pagan world where there were many gods. 

Read about Rahab's story! 

Listen, guys, you have to read this story.  It is so good!  Hollywood couldn't make this stuff up! 

Side note: Some scholars believe she may have even been a prostitute for the pagan priests. If that is right, then she wasn't just any prostitute, but served the pagan "church."  In her line of work, that was an honor!  Other scholars lean toward her having a tavern with rooms and prostituted out of her establishment. Regardless, her line of work was the same!

The story begins that Joshua sent spies to Jericho.  They ended up at Rahab's house (tavern or where ever she was lodging), but not by accident - God sent them there.  After meeting them, she knew they were different. I don’t think she even understood WHY but she had enough sense to listen to them. They told stories about a God that parted the Red Sea and saved them from the Egyptians! She listened and was intrigued I am sure. 

Then they needed her help. She was game and helped them escape from being killed. Even though she didn't understand Who they were serving!  She knew it was real!

After she helped them - she asked them for a favor!  She wanted God to honor her. Yes, the harlot! Guess, what? God honored her faithfulness! She asked that she and her household be spared from being killed.The men told her some things she had to do so she would be saved (again please read the story it is sooooo good). 

The part I like about this is she had to take action and that took faith! God says you do this and I will do that!  She believed them when they said God would spare her.  She did what they told her to and she and her household were spared!

FUN FACT:  Rahab is in Jesus' family tree! 

I cannot emphasize enough that you DO NOT have to let your past define you. Do not let your past become your identity and you live in that.  Be that woman who may not know a lot but fear God because you know of the great things He can and will do.

Are you listening to God?  Are you still intrigued by the stories of God's goodness and faithfulness? 

PRAY THIS WITH ME TODAY (in your own words)

Jesus, you are everything that we need.  Nothing has to be found outside of you.  You are the first and the last and everything in between. 

I thank you for your faithfulness to us!

Lord, I am running to You! As I read your Word, let me realize just how great You are! Let the stories of Who You are and the greatness of what You have done (and are continuing to do) always leave me in awe of you.

Jesus, I do not want my past to define me, I want a future with You being Lord of my life.  My life is Yours, do what you want with it!

Amen