A while back, I went down to the little grocery store we have here in our little town. It's not much different from most small stores that are located in most small towns scattered all across this great country of ours. I had to pick up just a few odd items, you know, the stuff you seem to run out of constantly like milk, cornbread mix, sweet pickles and sandwich bags. I suppose that's why these little stores seem to prosper so well in such a small town. As I go into the store, I see ole' Buddy sittin' with some other fellas drinking coffee and he hollers "Howdy!" As I go down the isle looking for the cornbread mix, I run into my sister-in-law and her daughter and we stop and "neighbor" a bit. Standing at the checkout counter is Ray, a retired electrician that I used to work with; he acts like he's tickled to death to see me. Ms. Mary checks me out and asks me how things are going. I head out the door with my little bag of oddball items and there's Mike, my father-in-law's neighbor's son-in-law who gives me a friendly wave. As I get into my truck, I realize that I've got this warm fuzzy feelin' down deep inside. It's kinda hard to explain, like being happy for no special reason at all. Then I realize that it just feels good to be treated like you belong.

That same warm fuzzy feeling is what we ought to experience each time we leave a worship service or Bible study, but it's sad to say that it doesn't always happen. We all need to be sure that we make our fellow Christians feel warm and welcome each time we get together. In the Bible we read, "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another" (Romans 12:10). One of the reasons that we come together is to give each other strength and encouragement, else we might not be able to withstand the daily temptations that the ole' devil dishes out. Before you leave the next church service, see how many hands you can shake, how many hugs you can give, and give enough encouraging words that your tongue hurts by the time you leave. Chances are that you'll get as much as you give and you'll have enough of that warm fuzzy feelin' to last you till next time!