Excuses, excuses you hear them everyday
“EXCUSES, EXCUSES YOU HEAR THEM EVERYDAY “
The devil was on my back as soon as my feet hit the floor this morning. I’m back to working through the week and have the weekends off. Last night I had planned to take a shower and be ready for church this morning. I didn’t make it. My nephew spent the night so the house was loud. The baby was excited and stayed up late. I was tired and decided to just go to bed after she finally went to sleep. I decided to set my alarm and get up at 6:30 to take a shower. The morning came too fast and I just really did not want to get up at all. I stayed in bed until my husband came in slamming the cabinet doors around 6:40. I was immediately annoyed and crabby. As I drug myself to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee, I thought man, I just don’t want to go to church today. I want to go back to bed. I pushed the thoughts back and thought “I’ll feel better after I’ve had a cup or two of coffee.” I had my coffee, talked to my husband a little while and then got in the shower. As soon as I got out, my mother was here coughing and gagging telling me she was just too sick to go to church so, she came to get my nephew. I love my mom but she has one of the loudest most annoying and gross sounding coughs I’ve ever heard. She hacked and hacked and hacked. I know that it’s not right but listening to her hacking put me in a worse mood. Everything was annoying me this morning.
The baby woke up with her eyes matted shut and she was crying, hacking and congested too. About 10 minutes after she woke up I decided we were just staying home today. No sense in taking her to the church nursery to get all the other kids sick.
The devil won. We stayed home. It has been a pretty miserable morning. My mom stayed for quite a while. My nephew drove me crazy. The baby’s nose is running like crazy and she is incredibly fussy. It has not been a fun morning at all.
I hate when I miss church. I do feel a temporary relief at first because I’m not rushing around getting ready. I’m just free to sit around and do nothing. As it gets closer to time for church to start, I get disappointed and I wish I would have just gotten myself together and went. I just know that I am missing out on something great. I wonder what songs they sang, who all was there. Who sang the special. What the message was all about. I know without a doubt that I definitely missed out.
I did watch a local church service on T.V. But it’s not the same as being at church in person worshipping with fellow Christians. I always regret not going when I miss. There are a whole lot of Sunday’s where o just don’t really feel like going. Usually I just get myself together and go anyway. I’m always so glad that I did once I get there. There’s always a blessing for me at church. Whether it be in the message, a song or even a smile. I never regret going once I get there.
I do believe that you can stay at home and be a Christian. I do believe that you can worship God without being in church every Sunday. However, I know from experience that when you miss church, you miss out on something wonderful. We need church for our spirit to grow. We need to fellowship with others and rejoice in the Lord. Not only does it bring us closer to Him and keep us in His word. It also makes us happy and brings us closer to other Christians. I may enter into the church grumpy but I always leave happy.
The devil doesn’t want us happy. He doesn’t want us to be close with other Christians because he knows that there is strength in numbers. He knows that the church makes us happier and stronger Christians. He knows that when we are in church we will recruit others to come. He will do anything he can to keep us from growing and recruiting others. He knows that each time he can get us to miss church, it becomes easier for us to miss next Sunday. He will provide the excuses if we just stay away.
He provided me with an excuse today. The more I shut him down the more he provided. My mom was already here. Her and the baby were already both sick. I could have probably had her stay here with the baby. I could have taken the older kids to church. Instead we all stayed home. Today we all missed out on a wonderful church service.
I’m reminded of an old song that a group of gospel singers who were close with my grandpa used to sing. They didn’t write the song but they sang it well. It was called Excuses.
Excuses, excuses, you’ll hear them every day.
And the Devil he’ll supply them, if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
In the summer it’s too hot. And, in the winter, it’s too cold.
In the spring time when the weather’s just right, you find some place else to go.
Well, it’s up to the mountains or down to the beach or to visit some old friend.
Or, to just stay home and kinda relax and hope that some of the kin folks will start dropping in.
Well, the church benches are too hard. And, that choir sings way too loud.
Boy, you know how nervous you get when you’re sitting in a great big crowd.
The doctor told you, “Now, you better watch them crowds. They’ll set you back.”
But, you go to that old ball game because you say “it helps you to relax.”
Well, a headache Sunday morning and a backache Sunday night.
But by worktime Monday morning, you’re feeling quite alright.
While one of the children has a cold, “Pneumonia, do you suppose?”
Why the whole family had to stay home, just to blow that poor kid’s nose.
Excuses, excuses, you’ll hear them every day.
And the Devil he’ll supply them if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
Well, the preacher he’s too young. And, maybe he’s too old.
The sermons they’re not hard enough. And, maybe they’re too bold.
His voice is much too quiet-like. Sometimes he gets too loud.
He needs to have more dignity. Or, else he’s way too proud.
Well, the sermons they’re too long. And, maybe they’re too short.
He ought to preach the word with dignity instead of “stomp and snort.”
Well, that preacher we’ve got must be “the world’s most stuck up man.”
Well, one of the lady’s told me the other day, “Well, he didn’t even shake my hand.”
Excuses, excuses, you’ll hear them every day.
And the Devil he’ll supply them if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
Well, the sermons they’re too long. And, maybe they’re too short.
He ought to preach the word with dignity instead of “stomp and snort.”
Well, that preacher we’ve got must be “the world’s most stuck up man.”
Well, one of the lady’s told me the other day, “Well, he didn’t even shake my hand.”
Excuses, excuses, you’ll hear them every day.
And the Devil he’ll supply them if the church you stay away.
When people come to know the Lord, the Devil always loses
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
So to keep them folks away from church, he offers them excuses.
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