"There's a place near to me, where I'm longing to be With my friends at the old country church. There with mother I went, and our Sundays were spent With our friends at the old country church."
I strongly suspect that I have a permanent indentation on the side of my head from when my momma would thump me during church. Yes, I'd like for you think I was angelic, but that would be too much of a stretch. You see, my very first best friend from childhood, Jackie Croy, would entice me to sit with her near the front of church and we would get our tickle boxes turned upside down, and here would come my momma - out of the choir - and thump me on the head. (But really, that just made everything so much funnier.) I wish I could tell you that I learned my lesson after the first head thumping, but this happened pretty much every single Sunday. (And we went to church every time the doors were open. There was no chance for a peaceful service as long as the giggling girls were there.) Nothing was off limits. Jackie and I even giggled our way through a funeral one time. If any of the adults from my childhood at Little Creek Church are still on this earth, I'd like to now offer my humble apology; and if they've all gone on, then Jackie can take care of the apologies on that end till I get there. Our only hope to save us from the giggling episodes was this verse: "But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." And to be perfectly honest, the head thumping was borderline offensive to this giggling little girl, just not to this drastic extent. But I may have taken this verse out of context.
I could probably write an entire book about my Little Creek Church memories, but I'll save that for another day. As I sit here and think about that time in my life, the happy memories roll down my cheek. I was so incredibly blessed. So many amazing role models at that little church. I couldn't begin to name names for fear of leaving someone out, but each and every one of those precious people left a lasting impression on this giggling girl's heart. I'm sorry that I giggled at inappropriate times, but I'm so very thankful that those Little Creek adults loved me through those difficultly funny years.
I can't post this walk down memory lane without at least mentioning some of my most favorite special memories of Little Creek Church, whether giggling was involved or not:
- All day singing and dinner on the ground on Homecoming day
- Vacation Bible School in the morning and revival at night
- Singing school, singing the shaped notes
- Taking turns to lead a song on Sunday night
- Swimming party at Hurricane Creek on the last day of VBS
- The annual Christmas program
- Youth rallies with standing room only
- Getting baptized at 12
- Getting saved at 16
- Getting baptized for real at 16
And now I'm all grown up, but I sometimes still giggle just a little bit in church. (Insert appropriate scripture about "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine".) And I sure do miss my giggling partner, Jackie; and I'd be thrilled beyond measure if my momma were still here for just one more head thumping.
The old country churches are now almost a thing of the past. The Heavenly Highway Hymns that my generation cut a set of teeth on have been replaced with overheads of praise and worship. The congregations of entire families have been divided to allow for children's church and cry rooms; youth groups have their own building. And these changes certainly all have their place; I'm just stuck in my own worshipping time warp. I'm blessed to still attend a country church where children and adults sit side by side for the entire service, still singing out of those Heavenly Highway Hymns. I may look at things a little differently than some, but I truly believe that God is so very happy to hear the laughter of a child, even when it is offered up during the Sunday morning sermon. What a blessing to have children who so enthusiastically come to worship Jesus Christ in their very own way. They feel at home here - and shouldn't we all feel at home in our God's house? A pastor friend of ours always encourages his congregation to "worship in your own way". I like that.
I think Jesus was especially fond of the little ones, knowing so well that they couldn't sit still or keep quiet, because He has reminded us of this: "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
Thanks for allowing me to reminisce about a cherished time in my life. I hope you can all say that you had a little country church in your childhood and a foundation of faith to build on - but just in case you didn't, it's not too late!
Let's all get our happy on. Let's all get our praise on. Giggle a little if you need to.
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There's no need for a Lucy/Ethel comparison for this blog.
I think Lucy and Ethel probably got a lot of their pointers from Jackie and me.