There have been very few times I have felt out of place. I can mix and mingle with just about anybody. I stand by the quote, ‘Actions speak louder than words’ and this can be easily seen in everyday life. What I say means little to nothing if my actions say otherwise. I much rather someone say nothing to me if there actions won’t back their words up. That person is a hypocrite – saying one thing, but showing the opposite and any respect they may have received goes out the window along with their words. Something we might all ponder.
Churches have a high standard to meet or should have. A person should feel welcome and comfortable when visiting. Nothing should stand in the way. Not monetary status, not color, not gender, not appearances, not who invited them, not anything. The one place where nothing matters to be accepted is the church. This is not always the case and the church wonders why their attendance and membership numbers continually drop. Hmm?
My experience with visiting churches has been great for the most part, but one experience had me running for the door as soon as the final ‘amen’ was shouted. I wanted to leave sooner, but pride kept me seated.
My husband & I had decided to find a church and start attending. We were on the 2nd or 3rd one and needless to say the last one. I am white, my husband is black. We were visiting a majority black church. Black churches know how to get you up and praising God compared to most white churches. Each have their positives and negatives so color didn’t matter to us. We just wanted to feel welcome. The minute we walked inside, I felt eyes peering at me and not in a good way. I felt anger, hatred and close to murderous stares. All at me and all black women.
Without saying one word, they spoke volumes. They said, ‘How dare you take one of our black men. Stick with your own kind.’ No words were uttered, but this was the message to me. My husband felt it also. Toward me, not him.
Only my pride kept me from running out the door. I felt so out of place. I knew I didn’t belong here. But, my stubborness and pride fought back and I stayed. After the service, no one welcomed me, nor spoke to me and I needed nothing else to tell me this was not the place. I felt their dislike of me immediately.
Actions speaking louder than words defined this congregation. Their looks, their attitudes, their stares spoke volumes and I was a fish out of water.
When God Speaks 
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