EXCITING!

When you pull up in the parking lot, you know what’s about to happen. Never been here before but you heard stories. A number of people you know have told you about what happened to them. They used words like, exciting, fun, sensational, interesting, informative, something for every age and they even used other words like, amusing and pleasurable. Seems like somewhere you would love to go.

You make the decision to go and set the date. You can’t believe everyone in the family wanted to go. Even your teenage son who never wants to be within two kilometers of mom and dad let alone with his kid sister, was yelling “Shotgun”. But before you get going you have some instructions. Smile, behave, be respectful and oh yes, have a good time.  Everything looks great from the car windows. Grass is cut and trimmed, sidewalks swept,looks near prefect and other people are smiling and laughing. Before you know it you are right at the entrance and the gatekeepers welcomes you by saying, “Come on in and enjoy your morning. Here a program that will tell you all that is going on.”  “What a nice man,” you say to yourself.  “I think I’m enjoying this already” you find yourself thinking, just before you catch yourself saying to you family, “Is this for real?”

Then back to your thoughts. Where are you? What is happening to and around you? This is amazing, nothing like I thought it would be. Most of you will be thinking Canada’s Wonderland, Westfield Village or The Lion Safari. Or maybe just over the border at Fantasy Island, maybe even Marineland. Its vacation time and we are all headed for one place or another where we can enjoy ourselves.

You see, none of us want to be in places that are uninteresting and so out of touch with what it takes to get people’s attention.  We want to be where people are glad to see us. Places where we get to love and be loved. Somewhere where a smile replaces a tear, where young and old hug each other and share with each other the amazing things we can enjoy together as family and friends.  

A long time ago there was the tv show called Cheers. It to was a place people wanted to be. Here are some of the words from the theme song,

“Sometimes you want to go

Where everybody knows your name,

And they're always glad you came;

You want to be where you can see,

Our troubles are all the same;

You want to be where everybody knows your name”.

My prayer is that all of what you just read makes you think of church.

Are you? Then help change it.

Something to think about.

Rob