A few weeks ago, my husband and I were shooting a wedding in Cedar Rapids. On the way to the reception site we passed a rustic little church situated in someone’s backyard. Both of us thought that it would make beautiful pictures so we went back later in the day. Caryl, the owner, gave us permission to shoot there and shared a bit of the church’s history.

She told us that it used to be in a little town a few miles away. It was one of the few churches in that area and served the community for many years.

Eventually the town became deserted and the church became the property of some of Caryl’s friends. When they decided to move, they offered to sell the church to Caryl and her husband. They bought it and had it moved to their property with plans for restoring the structure.

It had been a stressful day for me and taking  time to look at this church brought me peace. I thought of how God no longer dwells in a building, but in us. We are His Church and He lives in us. And someday we’ll live with Him forever. 

“One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.” Psalm 27:4