Written by Diane C.
Good morning church family! Not being in church because of Covid has been hard on Greg and me. I miss you! I miss your smiles and hugs and our worship time together! I am thankful that Bro Bob provides messages online and for all the church leaders and Sunday school teachers that provide lessons, I really am, but it is just not the same as being there in person with you!
One of the few times we have physically attended church during this pandemic was at a small church in Potosi, Mo. Greg’s Uncle Alvi turned 90 and they were celebrating his birthday in the church fellowship hall after church services. We thought it would be nice to worship with him so we ventured out. It was a small church where everyone knew everyone else and there were no strangers. Their service was a little different than ours, but like our church, they had special music. One of the music specials was a mom and daughter singing “God on the Mountain” because it was Uncle Alvi’s favorite. They sang so beautifully! (I had never heard that song until I started attending our church and it made me miss you all even more!)
During the birthday celebration, Greg got to visit with uncles and cousins he had not seen in quite a while. One of them was his 88 year old Uncle Dale. The next day we received a call advising that Uncle Dale had a tree fall on him while on his tractor and was killed. Greg was devastated. He was also thankful that he got to see him the day before. God is good like that!
At Uncle Dale’s service, Aunt Janet shared that she was the one that found him out in the field. She said all she could do was stand in the middle of that field with her hands raised and praise God! She knew that God of the Mountain was in the valley with her and she felt his comfort. What a beautiful testimony!
I know my family is not the only family that is feeling isolated because of quarantine and social distancing, that has suffered loss, had family members have surgery or family members come down with COVID. Dare I confess though that because of these things I am struggling emotionally? When I get like this, listening to praise and worship music helps me. I do not have one specific song, it varies based on what I am struggling with but my go to songs are “Lord I Need You”, “Your Grace is Enough”, “What a Friend”, “Jesus Messiah” and “Praise You in This Storm”. Since Uncle Dale’s death, “God on the Mountain” has been the song. I find comfort in the words and I can picture Aunt Janet standing in the middle of a field with arms raised praising God! What a wonderful reminder that we are not alone; God is with us on the mountain top and in the valley!
I am lonely for my church family and badly in need of some sister time! I need to fellowship and worship with my sisters in Christ! COVID permitting, we will have a Sisters Keeper retreat at church in October. The theme is “God on the Mountain”.