Wednesday Night Church

I love Wednesday nights at our church. When we became parents 3 1/2 years ago, we stopped coming on Wednesday nights because of bedtimes. After we moved here to Alabama, even though Caleb could stay up a little later at age two, it didn't really occur to us to come because we hadn't been in the habit for so long. But one day, almost exactly 6 months ago, a good friend was scheduled to speak to the Wednesday night ladies class, and she invited me to come hear her. I talked to Marcus and he agreed to stay home with 10-month-old Ethan (who at that time had a scheduled meltdown right around 7 pm every night, and we dared not be far from his crib when it occurred) and I would take Caleb with me to church. Caleb and I had such a great time that night that I think we've only missed one Wednesday night since then. It was good for Marcus because it gave him some quiet time in the house to study while Ethan slept, and it was great for me because that ladies' class turned out to be really special. I have not even touched the surface of the blessings that are coming out of that time of sharing and the relationships that were formed.

Then, when Ethan was about 14-months-old, we started being able to stretch his bedtime on occasion, (as long as we gave him some time to catch up with naps and an early bedtime the next day). So we all four started going to Wednesday night church. During the summer, there haven't been any classes; we all just met in the auditorium to sing and then one member shared a personal testimony of God's work in his or her life. I have been impacted by people's stories, and even more so by the worship time. There's something about the singing on Wednesday night that is different. I think it is because almost everyone who is there is there because they NEED it. There are very few (if any) "dutiful attendees" at our church on Wednesday night. Everyone who makes it there has made sacrifices to be there, whether leaving work early, fighting traffic, pushing kids' bedtimes, battling exhaustion, or missing dinner (or all of the above). But the sacrifices seem naught because we are there to pour it all out to the Lord in worship. There is a rawness in this midweek meeting that is not present at other times. We're all tired and many are frustrated, but we fight the odds to come because we know that this hour together will leave us renewed and refreshed for the rest of the week. And the amazing thing is that it always does!