Some people have that one place where they are just at peace. A place where they there and everything mean or negative seems to just float out of their head and gets replaced with happiness and joy. That place for me is my church. I’ve been going to my local church for many years. I was baptized there, I have been confirmed there, and my memorial service will be held there. Most kids think church is just something their parents force them to go to, but I always had a certain feeling of joy for getting up early on Sunday and going to church.
I can only think of one time when there wasn’t really any joy in going to church and that time would be when the memorial service for my grandfather who passed away was held there. Other than that, all of the other times have been nothing but full of happiness, joy and good times. The reason for all this happiness and joy is all the friendships, compassion and love that everyone gives. It has a home away from home type of feeling to it. Now, regarding the friendship part, all my friends that go to my church don’t all go to the same school that I go to.
Because of this, the friendship and bond with these friends are on a different level then some of those with kids from my own school. We grow closer together in that small hour or two each Sunday in class, when we’re hanging out for as long as we can have in coffee hour (a time to gather and talk) before our parents forcibly drag us out of the church to the car and we have no choice but to say goodbye. This is part of that home away from home feeling because we grew so close that I can easily consider all of those people my brothers and sisters.
That is a feeling that has no price to it, its worth more than any amount of money in the world. My relationship and with my church has taught me compassion. To me, compassion is having a caring attitude to the people around you. Yet again almost every single person in my church exhibits my definition of compassion. From the little five year old kids to the older eighty year old members, they all show great, amazing compassion. The younger kids listen to what you have to say and follow your rules/instructions.
There is no back talk or “no I don’t want to! ” One time I even had a little girl come up to me and give me the craft she made that day in Sunday school because she thought I was having a bad day. Was I having a bad day? No. But the thought she had in her head led her to do something nice and thoughtful like that. Can you imagine what would have happened if she did that to another kid that day who actually was having a bad day? The older members might not make a craft, but every Sunday they ask younger or older how they are doing.
If you say well, they listen to why and they have an expression on their face that makes you light up because you know they are truly happy that you are having a good day or week. If you say not so good, they listen with deep concentration and give you advice on how to cheer up or how to fix what’s wrong. These people aren’t even the pastor! That’s how these people are, compassionate and caring. My church is a second home. I get a sense of love and security at my church and I wouldn’t change that for anything the world has to offer. This is what this place of content means to me.
