I’ve grown up going to church with my family every time the doors are open for my entire life, and my parents are always the last people to leave. As a child, I would whine and whine as they continued talking to people long after the last amen. On and on and on they would keep talking. Pretty soon all of my friends would be gone and my parents would be the ones locking up and turning off the lights before we finally left. I still tease them for their inability to get out of the building. It doesn’t matter what day it is, what’s going afterwards, or even if its someone else’s church—they’re always the last to leave.

Now that I’m older, I’ve realized just how blessed I am to have grown up in the environment that my parents cultivated, an influence rooted not just in their transporting me to church but in their example of honest, service-filled lives. In always being the last to leave, they taught me much more about serving God and loving people than in their words alone.

Here is what I believe about leaving last:

1. Loving God means loving people.

My parents are overflowing with love for others, and they demonstrate it by the way they listen, care, and comfort, speaking to as many as they can before they head out the doors of the church building. They pass out hugs and words of encouragement. They talk and share and laugh with people. They love on people. And in doing so, they show a deep love for God.

2. Loving God means dedication.

My parents are completely committed in their service to God. They aren’t special religious officials. They’re just “regular” Christians, but they believe that carrying that name involves much more than showing up to a worship service. That’s why they’re always there, talking, loving, and working, every single time they can for as along as they can, until the very end.

3. Loving God means sacrifice.

There are plenty of things my parents could be doing, but they choose to take the time to stay after each worship service for as long as necessary, because they believe in putting God’s work over their own personal pursuits.

4. Loving God means service.

Many times, the conversations my parents have with people are planning for future events or answering people’s questions. Sometimes they even involve monetarily providing for people, or making plans to meet someone’s physical needs. They stay because they want to give to other people and serve other people. And they'll take as long they need to to make it happen.

My parents are amazing people and they serve an amazing God. I owe my whole life to them in so many ways. They didn’t tell me what to believe. Instead, they allowed me to create my own beliefs based on their example of faith. Because of them, I have built my own foundation in serving God with a faith that goes into action every day. I pray that if God can do so much through something so small, He will do the same through me.

Always be the last to leave.

This I believe.