Church is where I got my Kite.

I was talking with a friend not to long ago. And we were discussing church. And his views on church are not at all very positive. So he asked me what I thought about it. And for some reason I said..."Church is where I got my kite." A memory from when I was very little popped in my head. He looked at me in a very confused way, so I said hold on and let me explain.
I cant remember how old I was, but we lived in Regent North Dakota, so I could not have been older then 4. I remember we lived right next to the church in a very small house. Anyway, I remember that the church was pretty much our life. WHen you live in a town that small, and your dad is the pastor of one of the only churches, it becomes your life. But one day we went out flying kites. We had great people in that church and I mainly remember the Wallaces, and three men who drove combine for them. Now I dont remember their names, but I do remember that I thought they were so cool. One reminded me of a guy from the dukes of hazard, and one had long hair and was a hippy type. Well anyway, we were all out flying kites, and I got a brand new kite with Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks on it. SO I thought I was something special. Some how being the amazingly independent 4 year old i was, I some how let the kite go, or the string broke, I am not sure, but I remember seeing the kite get higher and higher and then dissapearing. I was crushed. So was my mom and dad, and the great people who drove the combines. They looked and looked for that ALvin Kite, but it was gone. And of course being only 4, cried and was just mad. So back to church.......
That next Sunday, after dad had preached some one needed to make an annoucement. SO the one who looked like the dude from dukes of hazard gets up and calls me up there and gives me a Alvin Kite. I remember it very well, it was just like the first one, white kite with Alvin in his red hat and shirt standing there. I went back and sat down and mom was smiling at me. And right there i knew that this was a great thing to be involved with. For a little kid and his first kite, it was a huge moment for me.
Of course, church means more to me then just getting my kite. But it is so much more then a building. It is the people who are in that building, making a family feel like they are the most important people in the town. Doing the most random things for them. For going out and buying a little 4 year old his kite again.
I actually have not even thought of that story of my kite until this came up. Not sure if God put it in my head to remember the important things or what. But I often think of Regent, the Wallaces farm, and those Combine Drivers who made our life part of theirs.
~Learning As I Go~
One-T