Back to my roots

The last week and a half have been a blur! Between preparing for our trip, Illuminate preparations, grad class, snow removal in the middle of the night, and all of the stuff I usually do, my life has been a blizzard of activity. But this past weekend was a chance to refocus on the things that are really important.

I have been distracted recently by all kinds of things that have gotten me off track. But God used this past weekend to steer me back in the right direction.

We took a group of 37 down to Ohio for a weekend at Castaway Bay for a youth trip. It was a great weekend, a good balance of fun and spiritual renewal. We spent time in the water park and time in worship. We played and we prayed. And one of my favorite aspects of the weekend; it was an intergenerational weekend where people of different ages had a chance to grow closer together.

So, let me tell you about a particular highlight of the weekend. After worship on Sunday morning, Cassie, one of our teens, told me she wanted to be baptized. To be honest, there are times I wonder if a teenager is really sure about what they are doing when they make that decision. There was no doubt that Cassie knew what she was doing. You could see it in her face. You could hear it in her voice. She knew it was time to get out of the boat and follow Jesus!

We had originally planned to find somewhere to baptize her in the water park after lunch, so we headed off-site to lunch. Well, in our search for a place to eat, we ended up at Chet & Matt's, a local pizza place. (We were in Sandusky, Ohio, the area where Michelle and I both grew up.)

Next to Chet & Matt's was the Meadowlawn Church of Christ, the church where Michelle grew up and where Michelle and I first attended when we met. There was no one there by this time on Sunday a afternoon, but we decided to make some calls and see if we could get in the church building to do the baptism there.

After a few calls, Vern - one of the members there - was able to come over and open the door. So we all went in and prepared for Cassie's new birth.

OK, so here is the cool part. I know this baptistry well. On May 10, 1996, I was baptized in this same church building and this same baptistry. As I was preparing to baptize Cassie it brought back memories of that day almost twelve years earlier. I remembered the excitement. The joy. The new beginning. I was reminded of the commitment I made to God in this very place where I was standing.

Then I recalled all of the times I had let God down since that day. The rebellion. The sin. The selfishness. There were so many times I had chosen to do what I wanted, not what God called me to do. That day seemed so long ago. That new start seemed like a distant memory in some ways.

But as I walked down into the water, I was reminded of God's grace.

As I saw the excitement on Cassie's face, I was reminded of God's love and mercy.

As I baptized Cassie I was reminded of the blood of Christ that continues to cleanse us.

This week I am renewed. I am renewed by the faith of a young girl who decided that she was ready to get out of the boat and follow Jesus. I am renewed by the fact that God is always there, always faithful, always ready to receive us. He is the Creator who loves His creation. He is the King who cares for His people. He is the Father waiting for the prodigal son to return.

He is the God that I know.

He is the God that I serve.

He is the God that I love.

And it feels so good to know that no matter where I have been, He loves me too.

shine!
Jason