New England winters mean that cold temperatures keep me and John pretty much housebound. Both of us have respiratory issues (he uses ventilators 24/7) and I have increased muscle tightness that makes it difficult to operate my power wheelchair . As a result,we miss a lot of church between the months of December and March.

Even in good weather, the unpredictability of the paratransit system combined with my evening Personal Care Attendant’s schedule prohibits us from active involvement in midweek Bible Studies and ministry opportunities in our church. We’d both dearly love to serve our wonderful church family, but our circumstances simply prohibit anything beyond Adult Sunday School and Sunday services (unless there’s something directly after the service).

Thankfully, our pastor and elders understand our physical limitations and treat us as valued members of the body. One elder visits during the winter months, often bringing hymnals and the Lord’s Supper while another elder and his wife allow us to be honorary grandparents to their four children. That attention helps us feel connected, as do the online audios of our Sunday School class and our pastor’s sermons.

But it’s not the same as being there.

Several of my fellow bloggers periodically write about the importance of regular church attendance and the necessity of actively serving in a local church. I agree with everything they say. Although reading their posts causes pain because of our particular circumstances, I cheer them on for admonishing Christians to be actively involved in their local churches. Scripture calls for such commitment.

²⁴ And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ~~Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV)

When I hear able-bodied people say they skipped church to do something recreational, to sleep in, or because they just didn’t feel like going, it angers me. Do they have any idea how heartbreaking it is to cancel our paratransit reservations Sunday after Sunday because the thermometer won’t move above the mid-thirties? Do they know what I’d give to serve on the Missions Committee or as a deaconess? Despite my current reservations regarding AWANA, it crushes me to hear the leaders beg for workers because I can’t volunteer.

I write this article, not to make anybody feel sorry for me and John (throughout our decades of being single, the Lord blessed each of us with opportunities to serve our respective churches), but to encourage you to be active in your churches as much as you possibly can. Sunday services aren’t an obligation; they’re a joyous privilege!

This winter, as in the other 15 winters of our marriage, John and I will rejoice in God’s faithful provision of online teaching and visits from church friends. The Lord will take excellent care of us, as He always does. But we look forward to that first warm Sunday morning when we’ll drive our power wheelchairs into that Sunday School classroom and into that worship service. There’s nothing like being with our brothers and sisters in Christ!

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