Today, during the Bible study that I go to on Tuesdays, something we talked about reminded me of a story. We were talking about being brave in the little things and about what it looks like to really try and be like Jesus, from our hearts out.

It reminded me of the story, at least how I remember it being told to me, of my parents starting going to church again. They both grew up kinda going to church, but didn’t really for the first few years after getting married. And what started them going to church again was SO simple.

An invitation.

As the story has been told to me, a co-worker of my dad asked him. Apparently though, he and his co-worker didn’t get along really well. So, instead of inviting him to his church, I guess because he thought my dad wouldn’t go, his co-worker invited my parents to go to his friend’s church. (We later found out that his friend’s church was a church plant funded by some friends my parents met once we moved to Houston and found a church home here. So crazy. The way God works is so amazing.)

Anyway, long story short, this man invited my parents to go to his friend’s new church. God must have been working on their heart as well, because they went. And we continued to go. Then, when we moved to Houston, we found a church home there and went faithfully. My brothers and I were raised in the church, with a wonderful youth group and many opportunities to experience God. I went to a Christian university, met a wonderful Christian man and we now have 2 kids. Our 2 kids are being raised in the church, and I’m praying they will have many, many experiences with God.

And it started with an invitation. It started with a man loving Jesus and people enough to ask my dad, despite a maybe rocky relationship, to church.

Landon and I have been talking quite a bit lately about an idea he has about inviting people to church. I realized today that somewhere in the back of my mind I’ve kinda discounted the importance of inviting people to church. I’m not sure why, but today I was very convicted of that wrong thinking.

I was also very convicted of the fact that an invitation to church is not a small thing. For the first time ever, I though about what it must have been like for that man to ask my dad that question—to extend that invitation. I wonder if he was nervous. I wonder if he was feeling that tugging at his heart that just wouldn’t go away until he talked to my dad. I wonder what he thought my dad would say or do.

As we were discussing this morning, and then as we were watching the little DVD clip with Jennie Allen, I just felt like God was reminding me that it matters to be brave in the little things, like following a tugging at your heart to invite someone to church, because He can take our little acts of bravery and do great things through them.

I’m thankful today for the man who invited my dad to church almost 30 years ago. I’m sure that he had no idea how that invitation would set our family down a path to God, but I’m so thankful that he loved God enough to obey Him and speak those words.

I’m also praying for God to help me to be brave in the little things as well, knowing that my big God can work through me when I obey Him. I’m feeling like maybe God is telling me that Landon’s idea of inviting people to church in a very intentional way, is from Him. No matter where He leads us though, I’m praying for us to remember that God is real and live like it.