going to church does not make you a Christian

This blurb is a bonus.
When Ruth and Kyle saw that I was serious about walking, taking steps to improve my health, they decided to surprise me with a Fitbit. When it arrived they charged it for me. I wore it Friday and Saturday and when I got up Sunday to log my sleep on the Fitbit webpage it said CHARGE. So I went and got the cord, took the Fitbit off before church and plugged it in to charge during the time I would be doing the least walking since I wanted every step I took later that day to count. When Ruth saw at church that I wasn't wearing it she asked why and I told her. She was perplexed and told me the charge is supposed to last five days. I was sick and in bed Sunday after church until Monday evening. When we were together Monday night Ruth and Kyle were asking me exactly what the page said when I opened it. I told them and suddenly Kyle began laughing uncontrollably-he almost ended up on the floor doubled over.
Between gasps for air he said, "Charge. You didn't have to charge it yet.
That's not what it was saying. CHARGE. That's the name of the Fitbit."
But, I didn't know.
I have an excuse though-I don't have an instruction manual to read and follow.
 I thought I was doing what I needed to do.  

I went to Walmart to pick up a few things this evening and wandered, working on getting in some steps since I am now the proud owner of a Charge Fitbit. I perused the clearance aisles and picked up some wipes for the patio furniture that is on my back porch. I picked up some flower bulbs. Searched for and found everything on my list, all seven items, and decided I really did not want the flower bulbs so I took them back to lawn and garden. I could have simply left them with the cashier, but I need those steps.

I proceeded to a checkout lane. I tried to add up my total as the cashier rang my items up but I am tired and when the total was a little higher than I thought it would be I figured I missed something. I swiped my credit card, exchanged pleasantries with the cashier and headed to the exit.

I was checking the receipt as I walked toward the exit and saw that the wipes that were on clearance and I picked up because they were only a dollar had rang up for five dollars. I am a cheapskate. I might risk one dollar but there is no way I am paying five so I went to the customer service desk to get it fixed.

The young girl working was pleasant and personable. She apologized that the price was wrong. I commented that it wasn't her fault. We continued chit chatting as she was doing what she needed to do. I am not sure how, but Christianity came up.

"I have great respect for Christians. I am not a Christian myself, I believe a mix of stuff. But, I have real respect for Christians. Well, for real Christians. For those who live it. Not so much for the Sunday night Christians. You know, the ones who go to church and then come in here on Sunday night."

I am not sure what Sunday night Christians do or say, but it was evident she wasn't impressed. I was mentally scrambling, praying, trying to figure out how to respond. I wondered what was coming next because I could tell she was not quite done talking about them.

She did not say they made her angry.

She did not say they frustrated her.

She did not say they were hypocrites.

She did not say they were rude.

She said; 

"I feel sorry for them."

I was not expecting that.

Any or all of those other things?

That would not have surprised me at all.

I had an apology forming, an explanation of what Christianity is.

Her response stunned me.

She thanked me for being patient and pleasant and kind. I told her I think God wants us to treat one another the way we want to be treated. She told about an earlier customer who had been demanding and rude. After she said, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" we agreed that lessons we learned in kindergarten are good lessons to live by. 

I wish I lived closer so I could go in often enough to build a relationship with her. I am intrigued by her statement and would enjoy talking to her about it in depth. I have a feeling she may already have a good understanding of what Christianity is and she feels sorry for those who think they have it, and don't. 

"I feel sorry for them."

Thinking about her words brings Matthew 7:21-27 to my mind:

 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 

On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”