Dreams
I was working late so the office was empty, actually the whole building was empty, but that didn't bother me. I enjoyed the solitude and I used that time to quickly straighten up my desk listening to the consistent hum of the photocopier throwing out the last few copies of the Pulse, our church newsletter. Only a few minutes left and it would be done. I offered up a silent prayer that I wouldn't hear the angry little beeps that let me know that there's been a paper jam like there had been earlier, but so far so good.
"I'm looking for the church that my cousin is getting married in, but I can't remember the name of the church. It was something like the Manitoba church, is that right?" Again I opened my mouth to respond and then he snapped his fingers and said, "Is this the Pizza Hut church?" His buddies started snickering in the background, but it wasn't meant to be disrespectful, I got the feeling they just weren't sure if they should be laughing. I started laughing with them to let them know it was ok."Yes, we are sometimes known as the Pizza Hut church. What would be your first clue? The red roof maybe?" His friends both burst out laughing while they nodded.
"There is a wedding happening here tomorrow," I said, "but, I don't remember their names." I then remembered that I had seen the bride and groom place an 8 x 10 picture of themselves on their guest table in the foyer. "They have a picture of themselves inside, do you want to come and see if it's your cousin?"
In my mind I could hear my husband scolding me for letting these three big guys, that I don't know, into the church where I was alone, but, they seemed harmless once we got to talking. I know, I know, I've watched enough criminal shows to know that evil often presents itself in a friendly way, but, either way, I opened the door wider to let them know they were welcome to come in.
The four of us walked together to the foyer and we were still quite far away from the picture when the largest of the three starts pointing and grinning. "Hey guys, that's my cousin!" They forgot I was even there as they moved in for a closer look.
"That's the guy she's marrying!" he exclaimed. I smirked as the three bent over the picture, ok, so they weren't rocket scientists. "He's a nice looking guy and he is very nice. I'm happy for her!" He chattered on.
"Yeah, he doesn't look bad. They look happy." the smallest guy said
They straightened up and as they turned to walk away the middle guy, who was the widest of the three, put his hands in his pockets and shrugged his huge shoulders with a little boy look in his eyes and said almost to himself, "Well, she's getting one of my dreams!" He gave me a little smile, as if he realized he just said that out loud and then with another shrug of his shoulders began walking away. The other two men, who suddenly in my eyes had became little boys, quietly offered their 'yeah's'. The atmosphere had changed, there was such a seriousness in the air and my heart just melted. for them They wanted what millions of others want. They want someone to love. What do you say? Looking at them, well, they weren't your Hollywood hunks that would attract the ladies, but I had a feeling that if they would find someone that person would get their whole heart.
I was trying to form the words in my head to say, "Guys, there is someone who loves you, someone who loves you more than anyone on this earth could love you!" But, they had already changed the subject and were back to being the smiling young men I first met. They thanked me for letting them in and then quickly walked out the doors to their vehicle. I watched them walk to their van and drive away. I stood there at the door for a long time and prayed for them. "God, help them to find that love that they are looking for in your Son who loves them so much! Maybe you could find them a girl who knows you and then see what could happen!" I smiled up at God as I walked back to the photocopier to finish my job, but, my mind kept rolling.
How often do we long after something or someone that we feel will fill that empty space in our hearts? It's true, there are things in this world that are wonderful and good and yes, marriage is one of those things, but even more importantly is our relationship with a real and living God. And it is this same God who cares about our dreams even more than we do.
And oh yeah, Wes did question my sanity on letting the guys into the church, but instead of getting defensive, I thanked him for caring cause after all I'm no Marilyn Monroe, but thankfully I found someone who only sees me through the love in his heart, not the eyes in his head!
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Psalm 42:1-2
I threw a few papers into my recycling bin and grabbed the service schedules that I needed to put into the booth for Sunday morning. As I walked out of my office on my way to the sanctuary I realized that the photocopier had stopped. I quickly changed directions thinking that I would just grab those last few issues and take them with me. As I walked around the corner I came face to face with three guys who were looking in the office door window. They were not familiar to me at all and though it didn't make me comfortable, there was no way that I could pretend that I hadn't seen them. The first guy looking in the window was well over six feet tall and quite large, as were the other two that were right behind him. Definitely not business men, but what was a girl to do? I walked over to the door and popped it open with a smile and asked if I could help them. They wanted to know which church this was. Hmmm, I guess the signs we have on the yard aren't visible enough, but oh well. I opened my mouth to answer him, but he cut me off.
"I'm looking for the church that my cousin is getting married in, but I can't remember the name of the church. It was something like the Manitoba church, is that right?" Again I opened my mouth to respond and then he snapped his fingers and said, "Is this the Pizza Hut church?" His buddies started snickering in the background, but it wasn't meant to be disrespectful, I got the feeling they just weren't sure if they should be laughing. I started laughing with them to let them know it was ok."There is a wedding happening here tomorrow," I said, "but, I don't remember their names." I then remembered that I had seen the bride and groom place an 8 x 10 picture of themselves on their guest table in the foyer. "They have a picture of themselves inside, do you want to come and see if it's your cousin?"
In my mind I could hear my husband scolding me for letting these three big guys, that I don't know, into the church where I was alone, but, they seemed harmless once we got to talking. I know, I know, I've watched enough criminal shows to know that evil often presents itself in a friendly way, but, either way, I opened the door wider to let them know they were welcome to come in.
The four of us walked together to the foyer and we were still quite far away from the picture when the largest of the three starts pointing and grinning. "Hey guys, that's my cousin!" They forgot I was even there as they moved in for a closer look.
"That's the guy she's marrying!" he exclaimed. I smirked as the three bent over the picture, ok, so they weren't rocket scientists. "He's a nice looking guy and he is very nice. I'm happy for her!" He chattered on.
"Yeah, he doesn't look bad. They look happy." the smallest guy said
They straightened up and as they turned to walk away the middle guy, who was the widest of the three, put his hands in his pockets and shrugged his huge shoulders with a little boy look in his eyes and said almost to himself, "Well, she's getting one of my dreams!" He gave me a little smile, as if he realized he just said that out loud and then with another shrug of his shoulders began walking away. The other two men, who suddenly in my eyes had became little boys, quietly offered their 'yeah's'. The atmosphere had changed, there was such a seriousness in the air and my heart just melted. for them They wanted what millions of others want. They want someone to love. What do you say? Looking at them, well, they weren't your Hollywood hunks that would attract the ladies, but I had a feeling that if they would find someone that person would get their whole heart.
I was trying to form the words in my head to say, "Guys, there is someone who loves you, someone who loves you more than anyone on this earth could love you!" But, they had already changed the subject and were back to being the smiling young men I first met. They thanked me for letting them in and then quickly walked out the doors to their vehicle. I watched them walk to their van and drive away. I stood there at the door for a long time and prayed for them. "God, help them to find that love that they are looking for in your Son who loves them so much! Maybe you could find them a girl who knows you and then see what could happen!" I smiled up at God as I walked back to the photocopier to finish my job, but, my mind kept rolling.
How often do we long after something or someone that we feel will fill that empty space in our hearts? It's true, there are things in this world that are wonderful and good and yes, marriage is one of those things, but even more importantly is our relationship with a real and living God. And it is this same God who cares about our dreams even more than we do.
And oh yeah, Wes did question my sanity on letting the guys into the church, but instead of getting defensive, I thanked him for caring cause after all I'm no Marilyn Monroe, but thankfully I found someone who only sees me through the love in his heart, not the eyes in his head!
"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Psalm 42:1-2
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