The sunday school teacher and his wife

Sunday morning came, and I was terrified. Do we have to go visit another church? Anxiety welled up in the pit of my stomach. I was almost crying by the time I pulled my dress over my head. I glanced in the mirror. I was past the point of caring what I looked like. My hair was still in the pony tail from breakfast. There was no make up on my face, and there hadn't been for weeks.
 We drove to church. It was a huge one this time. So big, like a grand hotel.
We stopped by the guest center to ask what rooms our Sunday School classes would be in.
Ugh.
New people to make small talk with.
New songs to learn during the service.
I was tired.
I walked into the room filled with people my age. I went to the very back of the room and sat by nobody.
A man in a yellow polo looked at me. He was in his mid-forties, but could pass for ten years younger. He smiled and said, "Hi!" I smiled back, energy draining fast already. "What's your name?" I told him my name. He interviewed me, a thing I usually hated, but the more he went on, the more I liked him. He wasn't faking friendliness. He wasn't faking enthusiasm. He was genuinely kind and empathetic. "You want to become a librarian! That's the most awesome thing I have ever heard! Have you been to the Main Library? The third floor? Right! It's amazing..When I get caught at NASA for not knowing what I'm doing (I've worked there for thirty years, and I'm sure the act is about up), I'm going to the Main Library, third floor, I'm gonna get that job. And my wife, she's an English major too (you need to meet her because she's the bomb), we're gonna work up there together when we're old. My wife Cheryl is amazing. I can't wait for you to meet her. I was listening to her teaching a bunch of women the other day (yes, I was at Mt. Zion Baptist's lady's meeting, but if you've heard Cheryl speak, you wouldn't judge me for wanting to listen), and she was talking all about God, and how He is a part of even the littlest things in our lives. It was really great to just listen to her. She's so wise. Oh! Here she comes now." And a small lady with graying hair which used to be black came in, quietly. She smiled at her husband and took a seat close by him. He put his arm around her and told me again just how amazing she really was. She laughed humbly and endured him.
I fell in love with the two immediately. I was in love with them being in love, right there, shamelessly, in front of me and the rest of their Sunday School class. They were both nearly fifty, but they flirted with young eyes, and they loved with ancient hearts.
 He checked his watch and realized it was time to start the lesson. "Let's turn in our Bibles to 1 Peter 1:3-4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you.' This is really amazing, look at it again! Heaven is ours through Christ's resurrection! God gave us this inheritance through Jesus. That, that is something to be thankful for. 
"Romans 6:3-14 says, 'Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
^"'For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,  knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.'
"We are united to God through faith. Now, I grew up a Catholic, and they say they believe Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. But that's just like saying 'I know my car is broke, but there is a mechanic across the street.' Knowing there is a mechanic across the street doesn't fix your car! Taking your car to the shop is the faith. Our faith is what unites us to Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and His life.
"Let's look at this backwards, like most people do: we ask, 'You want to get saved? You'll get to share in the life of Christ!' And isn't that what we all want? Everyone is searching for life. Of course they'll say 'Yeah, sign me up, I want life!' Then we go backwards, still, 'Christ was resurrected, so can you be. He had been buried, since he was dead. He had been crucified on a cross for your sake so you can have life.' But that's not how the story goes at all. 
"The story must be told forwards. Christ was crucified. He endured that pain to take the punishment for your sins. Christ willingly gave up His life. He died and was buried. Three days later He rose from the grave. He is alive now and sitting at the right hand of the Father. If you want part of this life, which He so earnestly wants to give you, you must take part in His death. You must die to yourself and the lusts of your flesh. Only when you die, can you come alive. God will resurrect you and bring you life. You will be freed from the power of sin.
"People think that once they become a Christian, everything will be all hunky-dory and their lives will be perfect. They see Christian John and Christian Sue walking home from church, smiling and laughing and having a sun shiny day. They think the Christian life will be God keeping them from all harm.
"But the Christian life is about sanctification. God making us like Him. We will be freed from the power of sin, but that doesn't mean we will stop sinning. We have a choice now, to sin or to stop. God will give us the power and the strength to choose righteousness because He has given us a new heart that can choose. We just have to choose rightly.  And this came from the Bible, not from Spiderman: To whom much is given, much will be required. We have been given life everlasting! God requires us to live purely for Him.
"So find your weaknesses, and watch your thoughts. Investigate God through His holy Word. And share Him with others. This is my charge to you to live your resurrected life fully. I know it's hard to share God with others. We freeze up and get nervous, but I tell you this: the more joyful you are about something, the easier it is for you to share it. So find your joy in God (thanksgiving is the foundation of joy), and you will share in His life."