Is Church Changing My Life?

This is the final part of a series written by Carrie Vittitoe to accompany her article in the December/January issue of Today’s Family magazine (page 18). Read about her new experiences in attending church in  Part 1 , Part 2, and Part 3.

If there is anything that has concerned me about attending church services with the kids, it is my husband’s concerns about our attendance. I think he is worried I will become a Bible thumper, although he hasn’t said this in so many words.

I don’t envision myself making prayer a daily part of our family life or proselytizing to others. I don’t think I am suddenly going to
believe in certain things that I’ve never believed in or that don’t seem important to me. I don’t expect that anything will change much, except that occasionally the kids and I will go to church. While it is possible that I could undergo a fundamental shift in my beliefs and life, I don’t think it is probable.
So is it worth it, then?

I think it is. My children will learn something about organized religion and, if nothing else, it will give them a reference point for understanding other people’s beliefs and experiences. Whether they choose to make organized religion a part of their adult lives is entirely up to them, but they will at least have experience with it.
Attending church will give me things to ponder, questions to ask myself to see if I am living as a compassionate person. Maybe it will provide opportunities to discuss existential questions with my children. Maybe it will give me patience when dealing with things that aggravate me.

I don’t know where this church experiment will take me any better than I know where my entire life journey will take me. But for now, I’ve taken my seat and am willing to see where it may lead.