God is Awesome

We have been attending a new church for about 3 weeks.  It is awesome.  The worship service is incredible and the sermons are scriptural and filled with the love of God.  God has really pulled me to that congregation to be refreshed.  I have yet to see or hear religion.  
Let me digress.  For a while I have had no desire to be in church.  I had been hurt and burned out.  I just wanted to get back to God and not worry about what religion was telling me.  For the past year, something had been nagging me, but I could not quite put my finger on it.  After leaving and being out of church, God revealed to me that I had been caught up in the religious aspect and not a real relationship with him. I was still in bondage.  I wanted to dress right, act right, and serve that would be my "fruits".  Then I started rebelling in dress, I wore pants, then jeans.  I just felt that I should be considered for what was on the inside.  It was an act and starting to be a chore to go to services.  Then we started feeling like we really didn't fit in.  I had never experienced that in my christian life and it was disheartening. I thought that there was something wrong with me and that God was distant.  

Looking back, I see how God was working.  He was opening my heart, so I could get past all the rules and regulations that I had been taught.  He did this so I could be open to what He wanted to show me.  It started with a book called "So you don't want to go to church Anymore."  It is a fiction work, but it did open my eyes to how far I had distanced myself from God by putting him on a chore list.  As long as I fit him in and read some scripture, did a Bible study here or there, served, I could check Him off.  I really had no concept of who He could be in my life.  Yes, there were certain times over the last 21 years that I knew Him relationally, but it never stuck because I kept getting caught up in the religiosity.
So back to the beginning.  We attended service last night, on a Saturday.  A year ago, I would have never thought to do that, it wasn't right.  But low and  behold, God is Awesome and revealed himself to me once again.  Even on a Saturday night.  He confirmed what I wrote about yesterday and showed me I was in His will for His direction in my life.  He drew me to Himself and showed me His love, not the rules he wants me to follow.  God is Awesome.