I was saved in 4th grade when a terrible train crash rocked our small community. It scared me. A lot. I remember not being able to sleep and just praying for hours. Praying that if
something happened to me that I would go to Heaven. Luckily, a teacher at my school kept a bible on her desk, and she helped me pray that Jesus would enter my heart. That was that. I was saved. I always made it a priority to be in church when the doors were open. Yes, I sinned; however, I said my prayers every single night. I talked about Christ often, and I truly believed for years {decades} that doing those things were enough. It wasn’t until my husband attended a bible study at our church (kind of against his will) that my eyes started opening up to the truth. Before this bible study I was the reason Frank went to church. If he didn’t go I would be cranky, and he knew it. He went to make me happy. If I was sick and couldn’t attend, or if I was out of town, then he didn’t go. That bible study changed him, which inexplicably changed me.

Before that bible study I had a schedule. My kids had to get into bed; therefore, Wednesday night church was totally out of the question. It would mess everything up. Plus, I went to church on Sunday, and I am a really nice person. Surely that was enough. Also, serving or doing anything was kind of out of the question because I was a busy, working mom in a fast-paced society. I had a lot to do, and my kids were number one on my list. I needed to cater to them. I needed to make sure that they had the best of the best, plenty of rest, and all of my attention. The process of what began to happen to me next is what I call “Unbecoming a Professional Christian”. That’s what I was. A professional Christian. You see us all the time. We are in the church on Sunday mornings. We are out to eat with friends bowing our heads in prayer. We post bible verses all over Facebook proclaiming God’s goodness. But are we Christlike? Are we in church on Sunday mornings expecting to be served by our pastors- or are we there to gain more information in learning  how to serve others?  Are we there with a passion so strong, as Tammy Whitehurst stated, “ To Make Heaven Bigger,” that we can’t sit still any longer. Are we expecting our pastor to do all the work, or are we willing to roll our sleeves up, get tired, get dirty, and truly put others’ needs before our own? Because that is what Christ did. That is what being a Christian is.

Jesus washed people’s feet. Are we too good? Jesus spoke and ministered to the lady at the well. What would people think about us? Jesus was bold. Strong faith. He was happy. Jesus is the King of all Kings, yet He is the epitome of what a true servant should be. I hope that through studying what it means to truly serve others with an open and loving heart that I can somehow be a little more like Jesus. That is my mission. To be like Jesus, and Jesus served.