Grandma Sylvia

I love the church that we attend.  Holland Heights Christian Reformed Church has been the hand of God in our lives on so many occasions.  We pray that God is using us there as well.

In my pre-children years, if you'd have asked me about what I wanted in a church one of the things would have been extended family.  I grew up with both sets of grandparents at church.  I would wave to them as we marched down the aisle to our assigned (not really--we just sat in the same place every week) seat.  "Five from the front please. . . just before the clock."  These directions were needed if there was a new usher.  Most of the ushers knew exactly where the Koeman family was going to sit.  As a mama I loved the idea that my kids would see grandparents, aunts, uncles, or cousins at church.  So it does make me a little sad that no one from our family attends church with us.  I accepted that I would never see my kids scooting around the sanctuary during greeting time to say hello to grandparents or beg to sit with cousins.  It's o.k.

Here is the deal. . . and I've known it for awhile.  I have tons of family at church.  Tons.  Though there isn't a soul through blood, I have lots of brothers and sisters in Christ.  I realized it in a big way this morning.

We always sit in the second to the front row.  We move if someone different is in our seat, if we don't have kids with us, if we are at the evening service. . . but mostly we are front and center.  Our kids do better which means that we as a family do better.  Grandma Sylvia sits behind us.  Always.  She is wonderfully young (92) and the sweetest thing ever.  I greet her.  I take home the cookies she makes for our family.  I love her.  There is someone else in my family though who is much closer to Grandma Sylvia.  Unbeknownst to me, Noel has been loving on Grandma Sylvia since we moved to the front.  I didn't know this until a few months ago when Sylvia told me how much she appreciates Noel's hugs during greeting time every week.  I beamed with pride.  They have a special bond.

Today we sat down and I overheard Sylvia tell the usher that her family wasn't going to be sitting with her today.  It was after greeting time and during the singing that Noel asked me if she could sit with Grandma Sylvia.  I said "no".  (I'm so sorry!  It was my gut reaction to being a single parent in church today!)  I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to hear Sylvia ask me if it was o.k. if Noel sat with her.  I knew in that instant that it was o.k.  I sent Noel back a row and got a little teary as my daughter sat with another member of her family during church.  Sylvia needed some family with her and Noel fit that description.

Yeah.  Holland Heights Church is full of my family.  "I'm so glad I'm a part of the family of God"