This is a long one.  No worries if you don't want to take the time.  I warn you, this has nothing to do with real estate. 

The prodigal church family.  Yes, that's us.  To say we have drifted from our church would be a gross understatement. It's been years since we've attended a Sunday service and this morning, upon entering the building, I saw more than one person look at me and then look up at the ceiling, as if to see if the sky was falling! It's not that we didn't like the people at our church, they are wonderfully sincere.  We drifted mostly out of sheer laziness, and for me, an overwhelming feeling of doubt about organized religion in general. 

The church we attend is a wonderful small Lutheran church, filled with kind and generous souls.  We were greeted better than the prodigal son, with hugs and laughter and many welcome backs. It was actually kind of wonderful, and it was so genuine.  They seemed so happy to see us. 

We started attending this church when I was expecting my second child, Max.  I was very pregnant, and my older son who had attended nursery school at the church was attending Vacation Bible School.  I had gotten somewhat friendly with the pastor but hadn't seen him since Mike left nursery school.  The entire church had been praying for this pregnancy as they knew that I had had 3 miscarriages.  On family night, I leaned my considerable bulk against Pastor John's office door and coughed.  He looked up, then leaped up to hug me, laughing at the size of me!  Since we didn't attend church anywhere at this point, and I didn't want to travel 45 minutes one way to go to Jack's church, an Armenian Orthodox Church, and Jack was adamant against attending the local Catholic church (long story), I agreed to talk to Pastor John about baptizing the new baby on the condition that Jack agreed to attend church.  I wasn't going to just use the church for a baptism.  After the family show, Pastor John was sitting at a table with me and I asked him if we could talk business for a second.  I asked him if he would consider baptizing our new baby, and he said he would be honored.  We were welcomed into the Christ Memorial Family with open arms, and attended pretty regulary for more than a few years.

Things change.  Pastor John became District President and was off to bigger things.  There was an interim Pastor, then a new Pastor, and Mike made his confirmation.  Summer came, we got to skipping service, and, as these things happen, we drifted away.  The new Pastor (who I had become quite fond of) and I had a misunderstanding of sorts that I won't get into.  He left our church to pastor a church in a different state, and with him, after the misunderstanding, went any inclination that I had to become friendly with another Pastor. My Elder, a wonderful man, never stopped trying.  He kept us in his prayers, he sent me emails, invited us to all of the special things the church planned.  I told him a little bit about the misunderstanding I had and my disappointment and he let me know that while people might disappoint, God never does.  He let us know that the church has another new pastor, a wonderful man with young children and a great wife.  I wasn't ready.

Fast forward some years.  Max is now a 7th grader and it's time to decide if we are going to have him make his confirmation.  I received a letter from the new Pastor inviting Max to attend.  I put it aside to think on it, it's a huge time commitment - two years.  Then my elder emailed me.  He really wanted Max to attend.  I feel that kids need some kind of religious background.  If they then grow up and have their doubts, like me, they can make their own decisions.  I felt strongly that Max should have the opportunity to learn about the church and Jesus, and then go out into the world and do with that knowledge what he would.

On the first night at the introduction to the confirmation classes, our new Pastor, informed the group that if we thought this was something we could do by simply dropping our children off and then leaving, then we should probably leave now.  Well crap!    There I was, sitting in the front row, with an overwhelming desire to cut and run!  I even reached for my purse before I realized that it would be too obvious!  The pastor looked at me, and said "I saw that"!  We laughed.  I was honest with him.  I really had grown out of the desire to attend church.  I wanted to do this for Max.  He asked for a compromise.  He asked me to try baby steps.  He asked me to commit to twice a month services.  I agreed to do my best.  Ever the Realtor, I negotiated with my pastor.  He seems like a sweet, engaging and dedicated servant of the Lord and I really don't want to let him down.  I will try.

Today was the first day, and the best part of the day was that our old pastor, Pastor John, was in town visiting and his sermons are some of the best around.  After the service, I hugged him in the receiving line and said that his sermon was wonderful, as always, and that I got choked up.  He gave me a bear hug and said, "wow, that's a surprise, emotion coming from you"!  Of course, he was being sarcastic.  I'm a known crier.  I cry when I am sad, happy, mad, moved, hurt, you name it 

There you have it.  Back in the fold.  The prodigal family returns.