generations

Generations Pt 2

Last night, Pastor Pete, our Children's Pastor baptized a number of kids. For those who don't know, baptism in water is a practice which dates back to before the time of Christ. It is an indication of a person's desire to walk out the special kind of life that Jesus walked. Jesus himself was baptized.

Before we baptize people we often ask them publicly why they want to be baptized. We don't want it to be simply a traditional act when it is intended to be an indication of the person's heart and a very personal decision.

All of the kids answered the question from their hearts (which was very cool) but one little girl's response gave a response which is as close to the meaning of life as I can come.

"Why do you want to be baptized?" "Because I want Jesus to know I am thankful for everything he has done."

As long as their are children who have gotten to know Jesus well enough that they are overwhelmed with what he has done and want to live their lives as a "thank you" to him, we have reason to hope and celebrate.

BTW - My thanks to all the Pastor Pete's in the world and the moms and dads who are making sure their kids know the love of God.

Generations

Here's what happened. My granddaughter turned five last week. I called her on her birthday. She wasn't home so I left a message "after the beep" as instructed. Actually, I've left three or more messages since that time and haven't yet gotten to talk to her. I have been increasingly disappointed as any grandparent out there will understand.

This morning I was thinking about her and calling again. I realized that I was torn between thinking that it is completely acceptable that I haven't talked to her in a while and the nagging sense that this isn't right.

Why the conflict? In my growing up years I had one set of grandparents living about eight states away and a grandmother several hundred miles away. I always enjoyed seeing them but it was a less than yearly occurrence. It was not until this morning that I realized I had come to accept infrequent contact with my grandchildren as normal, maybe even good because that's the way it was for me.

Fortunately we have a better guide for life than "the way it was for me." God's much wiser counsel is that we should take advantage of every possible opportunity to impress our kids, grandkids, and great grandkids with the greatness of God and His ways. BTW - you can read it yourself if you want to in the Bible (Deuteronomy 6).

It's humbling to "learn" something so obvious at this stage of life but I would rather pay attention to what I am thinking and examine it in light of God's better counsel than just repeat the way it was for me.

You?