Tripping Over Typeset

Dave said on Sunday, “If we had a baby dedication today, we would achieve the Triple Crown of Ministry all in one weekend.”

This last weekend, we had a wedding with a family we have journeyed with for over 13 years.  The groom, we’ve known since his awkward preteen stage.  And now Dave stands with him at the altar as his bride joins him on this journey of their life together.  It’s one of those beautiful honors of serving in a place of ministry long enough to walk through many seasons and see God’s faithfulness play out in some amazing ways.

The other part of that Triple Crown comes in the form of water baptism.  It’s that public declaration to a watching world that “I am choosing to follow Christ.”

Our Sunday morning was filled with excitement as people invited their friends, loved-ones and even their employers to share in this moment of them choosing Christ.

It’s what we live for in ministry… changed lives and rescued souls. Every person God brings into our lives is a gift.  No matter where they are in the journey, God loves them, sees them and is working in their lives to show Himself faithful.

We walk through ups and downs.  In exhilarating moments of marriage, babies and job promotions, we celebrate.  In days of grieving, loss and broken lives we sit while trying to catch our breath and live again.

Life is not easy.  God knows this and that’s why He made the church…  A group of imperfect people living through His perfect grace.

We’re not always going to get it right in this life.  We’re going to screw up and make mistakes.  We’re going to fall down and need help getting up again.

We’re made for relationship.   It’s why we long for others in our lives and don’t want to be alone.  We are not made to journey alone and we feel lost when we try to do this ourselves.

We’ve got this independent streak within us that says,

• “I can do this.  I can handle this myself…. “
• “I don’t want to bother others with my issues…”
• “What would others think if they really knew…”

And that, friends, is the big lie that keeps us from the help God provides.

Traveling alone and carrying all that this journey brings us is exhausting.  God never intended for us to do this alone.

Yet many of us try.  We get up each day, put on our big kid pants and say, “I can do this myself.”  When inside we’re really falling apart, we’re exhausted and we want to give in.

And today, if that’s you, do it!  Fall apart, give in and let God help you out.

He reaches out to us and says, “I’m here.”  It takes us giving in and allowing Him to guide our lives.  It’s giving up our control and letting Him lead the way.

How do we do that?

• Pray and ask God to help.
• Call a friend, pastor or both and let them travel with you.
• Get involved in a church where imperfect people walk with His perfect grace.

Life is a journey of seasons with some amazing beautiful moments as well as hard, difficult days.

And that’s why I love what happened this weekend.  We didn’t baptize perfect people.  In fact, as pastors, we are imperfect people.  We screw up and we get it wrong.  But that is where grace steps in.

When we choose Christ and tell others we’re following Him, we’re not saying we’re perfect or have it together instead we’re saying, “I need help.  I can’t do this alone so I’m choosing Christ and letting His grace work in my life.”

Friend, today, choose His way and let Him work through these seasons of grace.

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