As I sit on the beloved deck amongst all the flowers and watch the trees waving, and the cicadas and birds singing, and hear the gurgling of the creek, it hardly seems that one or more pandemics are raging in our world. Here in my corner of McDonough, I feel safe and secure. Sure, I had COVID a year ago and was quite sick, but not serious enough for hospitalization because I had been vaccinated and boosted.

During the past couple of years, I have lost friends to COVID and other diseases, I have lost relationships of good friendships because “absence does not always make the heart grow fonder.” As I have written before, I lost interest in church and did not attend for months at a time. I came to the realization that I needed this relationship with God and the fellowship and began to look around at where I should go. After visiting around quite a few churches, all of which were good and preached God’s Word, I kept being led back to my home church in Ellenwood. First Christ Cares Church is a small predominately African American congregation where I grew up and God kept leading me back there. It is a distance to drive, but the blessing of attending and being with a loving and caring congregation is worth it. Plus, they are a church who accepts me as an ordained Minister and allow me to use my musical talents and speak from the pulpit as the Reverend which I am. I am fighting my way back to a more God-like life than I have had in quite a while.

I believe that God led me back to a church where scriptures are preached without entering politics and social topics. Where God’s Word is taught and learned; pure and simple. Just God’s Word without personal opinions and lots of cute stories that really have no relevance. There is also a difference where we as parishioners are preached to and not preached at. Where we are encouraged and not made to feel guilty and unworthy. My church is a good place for Love, Compassion, and God-fearing people.

I have not been to the Tybee Bar Church in a long time but hope to get back in early Fall. This is a place where people are truly accepted by people and, most importantly, by God just as they are. No judgements or questions. Just God’s love.

As I said earlier, I feel as if friendships have drifted away during the past couple of years. I think this is in God’s plan for us to learn to depend on Him for friendship and companionship. I have learned to depend more on God’s Word and presence than before. I have re-learned to worship through music and other gifts that have been unavailable to me for a season. And all this has drawn me closer to God.

Where is your place of personal and corporate worship? We can stay home and watch the television or attend a church in person. Some churches do not recommend masks and sanitizers, but mine does. We social distance and in the past almost three years, none of our membership have had COVID. Some churches say they trust God to protect, but I don’t believe in testing Him. We are warned about that in Jesus’ experience with Satan in the wilderness.

“Thou shalt not test the Lord thy God.”

This has been a rather self-indulgent column, but I needed to share my story. God is faithful and good and led me through the desert back to a spring of cool, refreshing Living Water. If you are struggling, have faith and courage and you’ll make it through, whatever your situation. I have come through and am feeling much stronger and better.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Jimmy Cochran is a resident of McDonough, a musician, a minister and the author of Being God’s and Staying God’s, both available at Amazon.com. Being God’s is also available at Moye’s Pharmacy in McDonough.