Labor of Love

The following is the text of an email I sent to a church in the Des Moines area recently after we visited there. I thought you might want to read it.

My wife and I have traveled extensively in our 35 years together and have stopped by to visit many churches in our brotherhood over the years. From Cooperstown, New York to Lubbock, Texas and many places in between, we have found and worshiped with Churches of Christ. The experience of doing that has been memorable...sometimes in good ways and sometimes in not-so-good ways. It has been several years since we last had the opportunity to stop in on a morning or evening (or Wednesday, for that matter) service and we thought we would do so this evening as we were going to be in Des Moines on a Sunday evening.
We checked out the Des Moines area online in the national directory of Churches of Christ and found that the Grandview Church of Christ held evening services and wasn't that far from our motel in Ankeny. I decided to “try you out” and see what kind of memorable experience we would have.
We arrived with our son Scott at about 5:45 and were greeted by a young lady at the door. We asked if this was the right door to enter and she assured us it was. From that time on through the entire three hours or so we were with you, we felt as if we were among people of like mind who truly cared about the visitors in their midst and went out of their way to help out and make us at home.
We had been in the building no more than about 3 minutes when we were invited to the picnic that followed services. That invitation was repeated over the next hour by at least four more people and possibly more (I lost count). We found that we had common interest in the (name redacted) family, had common interest in people and places in Kansas, had common interest in our travels, and above all had common interest in glorifying our God and Maker.
The folks we met were easy to visit with, genuine, and without pretense. They listened when we spoke and talked easily of commonality, which made our visit pleasant and enjoyable. The singing was great, the prayers were heartfelt, and the lesson was powerful. The picnic was truly the crown of a royal evening spent with brothers and sisters previously unknown.
Occasionally, we have opportunity to pass through Des Moines (three or four times or so in 10 years). We will always remember our visit with you and be encouraged as we pass through on I-80. We probably will turn to our spouse and say, “Remember when we stayed in Des Moines that Sunday evening and went to church here?” We then will talk of this evening with fondness and affection.
If we never meet again this side of heaven (to borrow the lyrics of an old song), know that you folks will always be in our hearts and that we will think of you with great pleasure and satisfaction; knowing that you too are laboring with love and joy in the service of the Master.