Defining Easter

As most of you know who follow my blogs, I travel a lot. As a matter of fact, in three years, I have taught close to 30 StrongFirst kettlebell courses. Lots of time in the air or on the road.

Once again as I travel home on this beautiful Easter day, I have time to reflect and think about path of faith in my life where I came from and where I am now.

I was born into a Catholic family. I faithfully went to church with mom and dad till they divorced. When I was a teenager, I enjoyed leading the congregation in song with two others playing guitar. I stopped attending church as an adult until I met my first husband and went to church with him the, the first time on Easter. At the time, we were living together and under the advice from his family, we didn’t mention that, because they wouldn’t let us in the church. We had to say I was just his friend. See, he wasn’t completely divorced yet, guess that isn’t a good situation with religious people.

He and I got married in that little Baptist church and attended it for 6 years, till one day he decided we weren’t going back. I guess he felt he wasn’t getting “spiritually fed” any more, too dogmatic. We had decided that we were going to look around and attend different churches. The first church we tried was Crossroads Community Church in Mansfield. He said it was a “breath of fresh air”. We raised our two children in that church for the next 9 years attending almost faithfully every Sunday and I would go with my dad and kids on Wednesday. I enjoyed that church. I enjoyed being spoke to and taught instead of preached at and told I was living a life that would lead to hell if I didn’t do what the preacher said. Crossroads was filled with 30 minutes of praise music, which was my favorite part of the service (daddy and I used to sing a lot together so it was my favorite thing to do, that’s another blog) and then 30 minutes Pastor Tim would teach. I enjoyed that too. I loved opening my Bible, following along and adding notes that I knew later I would reflect on later in life. Many times I have.

The last time I went to church was Easter 2011. It was a bitter sweet time for me. See, I had left my husband and moved on with my life. I would watch Crossroads on my laptop when I was alone, but the farther I got away from “church” the more my thoughts changed. You see, I am not sure what it was I exactly missed about church, for my faith was stronger then any church. I had faith, faith that moved mountains, faith is what God is about.

Currently, I still don’t attend an organization that is a “church”, but I work at a YMCA.

Some of you are saying what does that have to do with anything?? How can she say that? I don’t get it! So wait, do be offended, don’t get all riled up, just read……………….

What does the Bible say?? “Where many gather, I am there?” Aren’t there many people at a YMCA? Aren’t the principles of the Bible to treat others better then your self and to put others before you?? To walk amongst all the people, not just the ones who go to church and are “good” people??

That’s why the Y is my “church”. I am blessed to be around ALL God’s children, not just the ones who go to a building that is a “church”. I have prayed for a very long time that God uses me to better his propose, to use me to his benefit. Every time I walk in the doors of the Y, I do exactly what I had prayed about. I look around at all the amazing people that God created and I get to be a part of their lives. I get to be “Christ like.”

I titled this blog “Defining Easter” so please continue to read as I define Easter….to me. Easter is new life, new beginning, that’s why we use baby bunnies and baby chicks, it represents new life. Easter is celebrated in the spring when “all things are new” I look around as I ride home and see the beautiful trees turning from looking like sticks to bright green. I see the pinks and purples in the trees and in the flowers. That is God.

God is beautiful. God is love. God is new life. God is forgiving, God is giving. God is people.

It’s ok I don’t go to Church, I know I won’t go to hell. I have an amazing relationship with God, I am doing what God has called me to do….serving him through loving people.