One of my all time favorite things to do is go a different way than was the plan. I discover some of the most incredible things that way!
I took my girls to Washington D.C. not to long back. What a great trip that was! I have a good friend that was raised there and he told me to stay in the Mall and not wonder around, the city has some rough areas. When the taxi dropped us at our hotel, near the Mall, the driver said, “Walk straight down this street and you will be in the mall, don’t go any other way.” Of course the next morning we walked out of our hotel and the kids headed in the directions the taxi driver had indicated. I stopped and could not resist taking a less direct route.
As we walked down a beautiful old tree lined street, all of the sudden we came to an astonishingly magnificent building, which turned out to be a church and not just any church it was one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen! This imposing monument was such a shock! It seemed totally out of place at # 5 Thomas Circle.
I told the girls, “Walk up those steps so I can take a picture of this beautiful church.”
It happened to be Sunday morning and we had not been to church (because I did listen to my friends warnings about wandering around the city) my oldest came running down the steps all excited, they were just starting the Sunday Service! So, we went to church at the National City Christian Church.
The inside of this building was breathtaking. This church was charming and grand at the same time. The stained glass windows were unbelievable. I have been in lots of cathedrals and trust me this was incredible!
The people greeted us with a true welcoming spirit. (Even though we were not dressed for church) They arranged for us to get a guided tour of the whole facility as soon as the service was over.
We learned that this was a church of Presidents! We actually sat in the same church that our beloved 36th president, Lyndon Baines Johnson and other past Presidents of the United States of America worshiped at while in Washington D.C. !
Getting off the normal path proved to be a wonderful and educational experience that day, the girls had fun, learned a bit of history and met some very nice people. If we ever venture back to Washington D.C. you can bet I will go to church.
