I’m sitting in 57, just having finished cleaning up a bit. I turned off the lights, and before I could leave I was deafened by the silence and tranquility. I just sat down for a moment, enjoying the night sounds in the dim light, enjoying the cars and passers-by. The contrast in this place is amazing. What was vibrant and bright just moments before is now strangely reflective and absorbant of all my energy. Cast on the wall adjacent to the window is the shadow of the “57″ decal. It makes me wonder as to what makes a logo–is it a location or a name?

Right now, the face of this place is no longer backlit but now a filter. The physical view I’m accustomed to, filled with people I look forward to seeing, is eclipsed now and all that is left is the spiritual feeling that always fills this place. Sometimes when I’m caught up with songs and people I become distracted from experiencing it fully, but it’s always there for the taking whenever we become fumbled in our words and teary in our sight–whenever we return to the heart of worship. Alas, there’s no busyness in which to hide at the end of the day, for God knows our hiding place.

So, God, take my life too–and someday my death–as Yours to use for Your glory, since You have taken my hiding place and now there’s no running from Everlasting Love or Amazing Grace. I thank You for the wonderful people with which we spent our day, and I thank You for inviting us to worship and serve You tonight. What a great opportunity it is to engage in fellowship with such wonderful brothers and sisters. Thank You even more, though, for the opportunity to love and be loved by You all the time, even in-between times of fellowship, filling in the gap with You meeting us in the middle. Thank You for concerning Yourself in the affairs of our lives and this world, and welcoming us into eternal worship with Your wide, open, loving arms.

I’m starting to think this is why Jeremy serves here so often by voluntarily cleaning this place. There’s something about it more than simply what it represents and accomplishes (and the personal storage space it is sometimes used for during the summer) and that is due only to God’s presence and Blessing. Perhaps it was a God idea and not just a good idea.