Front row. Back row. We all have our spot don’t we?

Is it an unspoken rule?

We sit in church in a particular spot one Sunday and before we know it…it’s OUR spot.

Sometimes we do that with more than pew placement don’t we? I know I have.

Lord, place me up front please. I’m quite certain it’s where I should be.

It doesn’t matter whether it’s a job promotion or leadership position there are times we’re certain we’re supposed to be up front.

Other times, for other reasons, our internal dialogue may look like this;

Lord, please don’t let them see me. I want need to hide. Back. Row. Please!

Our illogical logic becomes “I can’t do that, I don’t have time for that, or it’s someone else’s turn.”

Various seasons of my life have found me in pursuit of both positions. Noisy kids forced hubster and I to pursue back pews. The weight of “performing” well during a church service with our three under three musketeers was too heavy a burden for a front pew.

Other phases of life (usually remarkably short in duration) would find me thinking I had it all together and so to the front pew I’d march.

• Teacher of Sunday School
• Counselor of Youth
• Leader of Women’s Bible study

I’ve moved from front to back and back to front more times than I can count. May I tell you the single most important lesson I’ve learned?

It’s not about placement.

It’s about a person and his name is Jesus Christ.

If I have any regrets over my pew stewing it’s this…there were times it was more about where I sat than with whom I sat.

I’m not beating myself up though. My regrets are no longer bitter. The only thing I can taste is the tender mercy of my Lord.

Pew hopping taught me how tender He is. He never needed me to do anything. He was just so darn excited to be with me. To do something…anything together.

Back row.

Front row.

Somewhere in the middle.

He just liked being with me.

Guess what I found out?

I liked being with Him.

The results of whatever we were in engaged became secondary to the relationship being forged.

Today? Well, I’m still bouncing front to back, back to front.

Sometimes my back pew looks like sorting stinky, athletic socks in dire need of bleaching. No one notices but it doesn’t really matter. There’s peace in the process as I meditate on His presence. He’s there with me sorting socks…sorting thoughts.

Other days not only am I in the front pew I’m in front of the pew. Teaching women by sharing stories of the Great One and His Great Love. His presence is palpable during those times because I’m keenly aware I couldn’t do it without Him.

Mere hours later I’m in the back row again standing in front of a sink of dirty dishes. My rubber-gloved hands are trying to salvage a pan in need of a scrub. Jesus is there too though. He helps me fight the enemy’s taunts that the talk wasn’t good enough or that somehow I’ve failed my family by my absence.

Jesus. Is. There.

Bottom line?

It’s not about where I sit but rather who I’m sitting with.

Paul said it best:

Place Your Life Before God

“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around-life—-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.” Romans12:1 MSG

Sweet DoAheads, nothing leaves me more undone than this.

We don’t need to do anything! Thank heaven that includes worrying about pew placement!

Front row. Back row. Somewhere in between. We simply embrace what He does for us and what He’ll do through us. That is something {Someone} we can rest in.

{I’m joining Suzanne Eller and other lovelies as they share their thoughts on “front row, back row”.  Hope you’ll meet up with us!}

Your DoAhead Friend,

Cindy