Church Issues...

My blood is boiling...it shouldn't be...but it is~ I should actually be in the grave if I considered how long I have been stewing~
For the first time...I have debated whether to post these thoughts of mine, but... this is all mine...and if I want to say it...I can! People who don't agree...and those who don't like... find something else to read.
OK... I have been going to church my entire life. When we moved back to LC when I was in 2nd grade, I joined the church and became a part of something I never really wanted to let go of... I have a basic understanding of the Bible, Christianity, and morals that were instilled in me. I would never claim to be holier than thou...or better than anyone else...or even more knowledgeable than anyone else when it comes to religion.
With all the above being stated... I do feel like I can see outside "the box" that some people seem to believe I should be in...in order to be "the best".
In the last month, I have heard twice from church going people, "I would NEVER drive up and drop my children off to go to church!"... Well... the old Britt would have gone right up to them and given them a piece of my mind...this new Britt...she is sitting back and letting them look "stupid"..."ignorant"... whatever one wants to call it... I will state my mind here and avoid confrontation...I think God will like that better anyway.
Yes, I am one of the mothers who drives up on Wednesday nights and drops off my child. No one seems to notice that I have a husband who travels for a living and he isn't here to help out with the pick-up/drop-off. No one seems to notice that I have a daughter who has an activity on Wednesday nights, in another town, that she has to be taken to... Let me also state that I realize I could let her not be involved in that activity and she could go to church, but she loves dancing... and I don't recall seeing anywhere in the Bible that if your body isn't in church on Wednesday nights from 6:30-7:30 you have a ticket straight to hell. Let me know if ya'll find that anywhere. Finally, the last time I went to church on a Wednesday night... 15 minutes of the conversation was about how much a nut/bolt/screw cost to fix a leaking toilet... I'm sorry... but in today's world...my time is more valuable than worrying about that! I know nothing about it!
Sarcastically...I love listening to all these people who are waiting in the parking lot when the church doors are unlocked~ they know everything... they feel their ideas are more important than anyone else's...and they are quick to let me know that I wasn't there with them to enter the church on time. I attend church... I teach a Sunday school class... and I try to participate in activities that are going on... but the last time I checked... that wasn't going to get me into Heaven. My ticket to Heaven...is a personal relationship with God. I guess my feelings are hurt that these people are so quick to judge me (which by the way is listed as something only God should be doing...)
To go along with the statement of being a parent who drives up and drops off... "people" think that the parents of the children should be the ones who teach / help teach the classes that are offered at church. While that may be true to some extent... I believe with all my heart that there comes a point in everyone's life...no matter how old... that the WORD needs to be taught to you... We can always learn...we can always find out new things about the Bible. Being a teacher...and being with children all day...sometimes it would be nice to go to church and be taught to instead of being in charge of something. I think a lot of people are turned off from church because they feel they have to help out or they can't come.
Now...for all the naysayers... yes, I realize that if there is no other obligation going on during that time that you drive up and drop off... we probably should be in church... but I don't think that is going to give us a free pass to Heaven.
Lastly, Sunday after church... we go to my mama's to eat lunch as a family. There is nothing that I love more about living back in LC that those Sunday lunches (maybe LC football... but not really)... and then after relaxing Sunday afternoons... we go back for supper. My children are making memories that will last a lifetime. Those are memories that won't ever be erased... they are about loving family, having fellowship, and bonding. I'm pretty sure that God is sitting right there with us while we visit. He is powerful enough to be in two places at once! I guess it just hurts that "some people" make me feel guilty for not being at church when honestly, I feel closer to God being with my family than I do sitting with people who judge me because I'm not in church!
My eyes have been opened to why people choose not to attend church... I wish they wouldn't be turned away... but right now... I totally understand.