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The woman who stood at the back of the sanctuary brightened as my eyes met hers.

She was only slightly older than me, well-kept and put together, petite in statue but large in personality. “Hey!” she said as though we were old friends who’d not seen each other in forever.

I frequently visit my cousin’s church in Shellman Bluff, Georgia. I know a handful of people by sight, a few by name, but this woman was, to me, a stranger. I placed my hand on my chest, smiled, and said, “Do I know you?”

“No,” she said, her voice Southern and pure, “but it’s my joy to welcome you!”

We both laughed. We hugged. And then I went to the pew where my cousin and her family sit.

I have thought of that woman quite a few times in the days since. We are all children of God. Some of us, when we walk through the door of the church building, have already accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, which makes us family. But others may be seekers, those who are searching for Truth and have finally come to the right place to find Him.

Sadly, churches can be places where cliques form. How might the seeker’s perception of Christianity be changed by those who only blink at them as they enter the sanctuary versus greet them like the woman who greeted me?

Jesus warned us that only loving those who love us or only greeting those we consider “our own” were the actions of pagans. Instead, whether inside the church building or outside of its walls, we should greet others with joy and love and the heart of Christ.

Today, take the time to truly see those around you. Greet them with a smile and the heart of God.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay and 1494202.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)