The church That opened to the sea

"I went into a church because I thought I was meeting someone there. I don't know who I was waiting for, but I was sure I was late. The building looked familiar from the outside, although the doors were much taller than they should have been. Inside, everyone was already seated. I tried to find an empty place near the back, but every time I reached a row, the people moved their coats onto the seats. Nobody looked at me. The service had already started, but the pastor was reading from a cookbook. I remember thinking that I shouldn't laugh. Then he said my name, and the entire church turned around. I tried to leave quietly, but the doors opened onto a beach instead of the parking lot. Waves were coming close to the steps. I went back inside, and suddenly the church was full of people I recognized from different parts of my life. My grandmother was sitting in the front row. She looked at me and pointed to the empty seat beside her. I sat down, even though I felt like I was interrupting something. She took my hand and whispered that I had been gone a long time. When I looked toward the altar, there was no pastor there anymore, just a small lamp burning on the floor."