After being told we were not welcome at two churches, we decided to try a third.
We devised a plan to sneak in this time around. Service started at 11:00 AM so we were going to let the service begin and then slip in. We would sit on the back row right by the door and then when the closing prayer was being offered, we would get up and leave.
Our plan worked perfectly. At five minutes past eleven, we walked in the building and slipped into the last pew by the door. When the pastor had us stand so he could close the service in prayer, we took off before anyone could say anything to us.
I don’t know if we enjoyed the service or enjoyed getting away with being there, but we decided to come back that night. Again, we came in shortly after the service began and as the pastor was praying at the end, we got up and left. As my hands hit the bar to open the door and leave, I felt a hand on my shoulder and heard a voice say, “Not so fast.”
I turned and saw the man who had stopped us. He looked at me and said, “You got away this morning, but I wasn’t going to let you do it again tonight.” I felt a sense of dread come over me thinking that we were about to be bounced once again. This time, however, the man smiled at us and said, “Hi, I’m Pastor Rick, the youth pastor here at the church. I’m glad you came.”
Wow, what a relief. He spoke with us a few minutes to learn our story and said we were welcome back anytime. For the next six months, Pastor Rick would welcome us and disciple us. I owe a strong basis for my faith to this man and the time he invested in me.
It’s amazing what can happen when, instead of turning people away, we accept them as they are and help them become what God wants them to be.
Joel Stiff's Adventure 