a view through annie's eyes

I sit in the same seat almost every Sunday. When I get to church late and someone else is there, I have to rethink my system and find another spot. I have a glorious reason why I sit there, and was just reminded of it this week, as I have had so many memories flooding my heart.

Ten years ago, I was doing Bible study fellowship like I had done every Wednesday for seven years. I was approached by my pastor to facilitate a moms’ group on Wednesday morning, and I immediately told him I did BSF that morning, and I was already committed (and relieved I thought so quickly.) Just as soon as the words came out of my mouth, God prompted my heart that I was wrapping up the final year of BSF, and would be finished unless I started over with the same material the next semester. After we discussed that the only day the church could host a moms’ meeting with the nursery available was on Wednesdays, I stammered a bit and said something about praying and getting back to him on it. I prayed a prayer that sounded more like Let’s Make a Deal that evening. I told God if I could find another Bible study, I would facilitate the moms’ meetings, but there really wasn’t one going on at our church that interested me very much, especially in the same way BSF had done with a large group of Godly women singing, studying, and praying together. I hate to admit this, but this is the truth: I Googled (may as well have cast lots) “Bible Study” and “Houston” and the first hit was a study by Beth Moore called “Jesus the One and Only.” Hmmm. Had no idea nor had ever heard of Beth Moore, but it was in downtown Houston and at First Baptist Church the next Tuesday evening, and the best part—it had live music. I drove down by myself (a somewhat big deal for us suburbanites) and sat in the same row that I now sit almost every Sunday. There, in that chair, I felt Christ’s love again pouring out like rain on me for the first time in almost 20 years. I knew I had returned to my First Love, and He had returned to me. Tears streamed down as we sang right from the beginning of that night to the end as Beth’s words pierced my heart with a love I had forgotten. I thought, this Beth Moore—she is a mighty vessel of God’s Spirit. She walked through the aisles, and I dropped my face, and covered my quivering lip, but I knew she knew and more importantly, God knew, He was about to draw me close again, and I had so missed it. The worst part is I didn’t even know I had missed it until I found it again. I walked out of the sanctuary that evening, and cried all the way home, knowing I would never return to making God only a part of my life. He had to be my everything.

Since that day, I left my old church, was baptized (again), and now sit almost every Sunday in or near that same seat where I saw my Lord again, and my heart overflows. We are about to undergo a major renovation of the worship center and I can hardly stand it. I know it isn’t about the seat I sit in, but it is full of meaning for me. In a few weeks, we will all go into the sanctuary and take a Sharpie marker and place someone’s name on the floor where we usually sit. We will pray for that person, and one day, bring that person to church and show them the Light of Christ. We may or we may not tell them about their name being on the floor, but I surely will tell them that it was in that particular place where I saw God. Worship Him this Sunday and every day with all your heart. He is our everything!