We tell the world all of our greatest moments and others' biggest blunders.
In years past it was our small world gathered around the fridge to gaze upon spring pictures and report cards from school.
Our world then grew to include the mailing list of recipients for Christmas cards in the mail.
Now we've expanded our world to include hundreds of FB friends and Instagram followers. Goodness, even thousands of likes with the right tag line of trending events.
And so this weekend I will have the privilege to help my son tell the world of his latest news. To help create what I hope will become an unforgettable moment.
It was eight years ago when his mom told me she was pregnant and it was then that we began praying for the day that he would become a follower of Jesus. And a couple of months ago he made the decision to follow Christ.
While his journey is just now beginning, my hopes are that he will not waver in what I consider to be the most important decision in his life. That doubts will not creep in. That his flesh will not win out. That evil will not prevail. That Christ wins his thoughts and affections every time.
Many people have compared baptism to the exchanging of rings on a wedding day. While baptism doesn't save you, it does become an outward expression of inward change when choosing to follow Christ. Even so, a wedding ring illustrates the covenant relationship you have with your spouse.
However, just like a wedding band cannot be the guarantor of a abiding commitment to love your spouse, baptism is not the guarantor of a totally devoted life to Christ. Believe me, I know. But both are meant to serve as a constant reminder of the day when the vow of submission was made and meant to be cherished and cultivated for a lifetime.
I'm so excited to see that my son has chosen to take this step of faith to follow Christ. He has a family that loves him and wants to see him be successful in every area of life. But most importantly, to reflect a Christ-likeness in his life that is unparalleled to any other announcement or achievement he could possibly imagine.
He has a church family that has embraced him as one of their own. It is becoming a place where he can continue to grow and develop as he learns to worship and serve others in the context of our church community.
And I'm so thankful to my church family for allowing me the awesome opportunity to take part in his baptism. To create an unforgettable moment for the both of us. To be reminded again by this up close and personal encounter of the sacrifice Christ has made for us. God help me to be reminded that we are to put to death every old way of life because we have been raised to walk in a new life that can only be found in Him.
Son, when you read this I hope you know how proud I am of you. And how exciting it is to know that you have chosen to follow Jesus. Not a day goes by that you don't put a smile on my face. Not only are you my son but you are now my brother in Christ. And it is my responsibility and my privilege to walk alongside you to encourage you and help direct your steps on this journey of faith. We may not get it right every single time, but remember, we are both a work in progress. I get so excited when I think about the young man you are becoming. And as long as God gives me breath I want my life to be a life that gives you a godly example of a father and a friend. My prayer for you and me both has been and always will be that we would go where God leads, do what God says, and become the person God has called us to be.
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Snow and Basketball
It was this weekend some 24 years ago that we loaded up and took off to the midget league state basketball tournament without a care in the world.
And only one word on our minds, "Domination!"
As we arrived at the hotel, we piled out of our parents' minivans onto the asphalt of our new home for the weekend, the Super 8 Hotel.
The team gathered for a pre-game snack and went over the game plan for Friday night's duel with the host team, the Villa Rica Wildcats.
After the hard fought victory we did what every little league team does, celebrate. With a trip to the world's greatest post-game cuisine, Pizza Hut.
As parents scurried all of us kids back into our hotel rooms we were scheduled to play the next morning in the semi-final matchup of the state tournament. But we were certainly caught off guard by what happened next.
No amount of coaching could have prepared us for this. It wasn't about defense or easy baskets!
Now it was survival!
We woke up to what appeared to be 10 foot tall mounds of white powder scattered across that asphalt landscape as far as our eyes could see!
And while the kids were screaming with excitement, parents were cringing with fear. Nobody was prepared for this. Not enough clothing. Not enough money. Not enough food. But we had plenty of time.
So we put on our uniforms, sweatpants, and hoodies with plastic bags over our shoes and trekked out into the snow-ridden landscape of parked cars, sidewalks, and street signs firing off one snowball after another.
While the players sat in hotel rooms to thaw out frozen fingers and toes, parents conjured up a plan to remedy "Destination Not Going Home." So the older siblings went to the local Ingles supermarket to bag groceries in exchange for food for our families.
In a world without cell phones and power outages all throughout the region there was certainly a heightened state of nervousness among parents meshed with the carefree spirits of their kids. Surprisingly enough not one single child went missing nor any parent arrested for being pent up in a hotel for 5 days while we weathered the blizzard of '93.
By day 3, our excitement for the snow had turned to boredom and now as parents were reeling from the dread of their homes being damaged they were being forced to entertain the kids as well. Talk about a tall task to bear!
While the state tourney had become an afterthought, I will say this and move on. We returned the following weekend with "redemption" on our minds (we were last year's runner-up) to face off against a supremely talented Ft. Stewart team. We lost. Still bitter. Enough said.
While that weekend and the subsequent days of processing the events of basketball, a blizzard, little cash flow, and concern for our homes have been engraved in our minds, maybe there's something more to consider.
We as kids were able to be carefree because our parents were responsible for our care. They let us play in the snow, kept us warm in our hotel rooms, fed us meals from the groceries our brothers had retrieved.
And here we are some 20+ years later, deliberating over significant decisions that we need to make, wondering if the world is going to come crashing down on us. And our Father is trying to say, "I've got this!"
No, it won't always go as planned. No, we may not have the best clothes, the most expensive gadgets or toys, eat at the fanciest restaurants, or run in some elite circle of acquaintances. But He does make this promise, "I will provide."
So whether it snows or rains on your little parade, remember, there's a good, good Father watching over us and caring for us in every circumstance of your life.
Whether you feel stranded on an island of self-pity or grief. Or whether you're living among the rainbows and cloudless days without a care in the world. He's there. He will not abandon you.
And maybe just maybe we will notice His presence and be more grateful for all that He's doing for us. But more importantly what He's wanting to do in us.
And only one word on our minds, "Domination!"
As we arrived at the hotel, we piled out of our parents' minivans onto the asphalt of our new home for the weekend, the Super 8 Hotel.
The team gathered for a pre-game snack and went over the game plan for Friday night's duel with the host team, the Villa Rica Wildcats.
After the hard fought victory we did what every little league team does, celebrate. With a trip to the world's greatest post-game cuisine, Pizza Hut.
As parents scurried all of us kids back into our hotel rooms we were scheduled to play the next morning in the semi-final matchup of the state tournament. But we were certainly caught off guard by what happened next.
No amount of coaching could have prepared us for this. It wasn't about defense or easy baskets!
Now it was survival!
We woke up to what appeared to be 10 foot tall mounds of white powder scattered across that asphalt landscape as far as our eyes could see!
And while the kids were screaming with excitement, parents were cringing with fear. Nobody was prepared for this. Not enough clothing. Not enough money. Not enough food. But we had plenty of time.
So we put on our uniforms, sweatpants, and hoodies with plastic bags over our shoes and trekked out into the snow-ridden landscape of parked cars, sidewalks, and street signs firing off one snowball after another.
While the players sat in hotel rooms to thaw out frozen fingers and toes, parents conjured up a plan to remedy "Destination Not Going Home." So the older siblings went to the local Ingles supermarket to bag groceries in exchange for food for our families.
In a world without cell phones and power outages all throughout the region there was certainly a heightened state of nervousness among parents meshed with the carefree spirits of their kids. Surprisingly enough not one single child went missing nor any parent arrested for being pent up in a hotel for 5 days while we weathered the blizzard of '93.
By day 3, our excitement for the snow had turned to boredom and now as parents were reeling from the dread of their homes being damaged they were being forced to entertain the kids as well. Talk about a tall task to bear!
While the state tourney had become an afterthought, I will say this and move on. We returned the following weekend with "redemption" on our minds (we were last year's runner-up) to face off against a supremely talented Ft. Stewart team. We lost. Still bitter. Enough said.
While that weekend and the subsequent days of processing the events of basketball, a blizzard, little cash flow, and concern for our homes have been engraved in our minds, maybe there's something more to consider.
We as kids were able to be carefree because our parents were responsible for our care. They let us play in the snow, kept us warm in our hotel rooms, fed us meals from the groceries our brothers had retrieved.
And here we are some 20+ years later, deliberating over significant decisions that we need to make, wondering if the world is going to come crashing down on us. And our Father is trying to say, "I've got this!"
No, it won't always go as planned. No, we may not have the best clothes, the most expensive gadgets or toys, eat at the fanciest restaurants, or run in some elite circle of acquaintances. But He does make this promise, "I will provide."
So whether it snows or rains on your little parade, remember, there's a good, good Father watching over us and caring for us in every circumstance of your life.
Whether you feel stranded on an island of self-pity or grief. Or whether you're living among the rainbows and cloudless days without a care in the world. He's there. He will not abandon you.
And maybe just maybe we will notice His presence and be more grateful for all that He's doing for us. But more importantly what He's wanting to do in us.
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