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EN(dur)ANCE by Robin Gudal

This Mother’s Day we attended Queens Church in New York. This was our second visit in the last calendar year. The church was packed as they have experienced great growth in their sixth year of existence and topped the service with 111 in attendance.

This very diverse church’s pastor is a dynamic communicator of God’s grace, love and challenges. He wants to share God’s truth in an often “me first” culture.

On Mother’s Day, he had three main points:

1. You have been brought near. Christ wants us to come close to him and leave our wandering ways.

2. You have been reconciled. He wants our hearts, and he wants us to make Jesus our passion.

3. You have a new home. Jesus is the one and only way. He is the answer. We have access to eternal life through him. He is the firm foundation in a shifting world.

We were blessed to go to New York to visit our biological son. His love language is food, making New York a great place to live. I had caviar accoutrements — hard boiled eggs, fancy cream cheese, scallions and green onions — atop milk toast he prepared for Mother’s Day brunch.

In the evening we had Swordfish steak and grilled vegetables that satisfied our tummies. We had many delightful new experiences including octopus and tartar (raw steak).

I had been gifted a book for my birthday in January. It was one I would not have purchased myself. However, it was given with love,making it a very kind gift. I had started it prior to our trip, and I’d read two pages, put it down and picked it back up a few days later. It was out of my reading comfort.

However, I was committed to it. On Mother’s Day, relaxing on our son’s five-story apartment deck overlooking a busy soccer field and the Triborough Bridge, I sat and read.

As I opened my mind and trudged through the pages, I was delightfully challenged and realized I did understand the intelligent author’s concept. Although I would not agree with all of it, I grew.

We ended our day with a beautiful walk in the park, and as I rested my weary body, I realized all three experiences aligned — family, the earthly world we’ve been gifted to live in, and most importantly, the heavenly world, our ultimate true home.

I feel so honored and blessed to have come to knowing, walking through and now being challenged to share God’s truth with others.

We all have others in our lives who need to hear the truth. Let us not get too comfortable that we keep it to ourselves.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” — Matthew 9:37b and 38, NIV

I love New York! (the official slogan of New York) And I love Jesus!

Robin (Beckman) Gudal is intentional in life, a wife, momma, nana, friend and a flawed and imperfect follower of Jesus.