He remembered. I knew He would. Still, I was waiting all day for clues.
Twenty-two years ago today my choice was sealed, through baptism, to walk each and every day with my very Best Friend Jesus. This weekend we celebrate an American symbol of freedom. My baptism opened the door for the greatest freedom ever known: the freedom from sin and the freedom to spend eternity with God. King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Immanuel: God with us.
As you will see, since God and I began this joyful journey many years ago, He has shown Himself to be a personal, fun, and loving. My life has been a series of precious moments where God has come near. Why would our anniversary be an exception? It wasn’t.
I wasn’t in the jolliest of moods today. Even the morning’s calendar text, “Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age” was not enough to shake me from my doldrums. I acknowledged the gesture dutifully and sullenly added, “Yep, this feels like the “end of my age”, alright.
My sour mood continued with lightning flashes of anxiety and anger as my kids misbehaved and screamed for this, that, and the other thing. My task today was to complete financial aid forms for Eric to be able to attend Christian education this next year. With his help playing with the boys and Jerry’s surprise entry between jobs, I was able to finish the online application. Then as I gathered forms to fax, I realized I had misplaced a crucial one. Lightning and a downpour ensued, more inward than outward (though I’m sure my family was counting seconds to see how far away the threat was! Ha! Ha!).
With Jerry home to steer the ship to safer waters, I went to call for a replacement form. A simple phone call changed it all. Working my way through complicated menu items, I finally found the blessed option “customer service.” At once I selected it and began a 20-minute wait. Annoyed? No, because my wait music was my gift from the One who made me and calls me His friend!
As the first few garbled measures came through my cell phone, I realized what was happening. A sunny smile began to peak through my storm-tossed heart and the rainbow of God’s love surrounded me all twenty minutes. A song from my childhood played, one that took me back to the very years of my decision to walk with Christ. I remembered. I had found a tape that was joyful, bouncy, and recorded off something else so I didn’t know what it was. I used it as I created exercise/gymnastic routines, dancing around on my hot pink carpet all by myself. It was a time of pure joy and self-expression, a time where I was figuring a lot out about my world. Perhaps God was remembering the things we worked out together in those times. One thing I knew was that going God’s way was the only way for me. I sensed His comfort, personal interest, and guidance.
Oh, what important help for today! I’m still trying to figure out a lot about my world. It’s ever changing, yet the One who does not change is right here. “Surely, I am with you always,” He said this morning.
That song was on repeat for the entire 20 minutes. When I was connected, the operator expected me to complain about the wait, but how could I? Now the clouds have parted and are getting a
swift kick back by the All-powerful Breather! There are still sprinkles here and there, but then the rainbow lingers a bit longer, doesn’t it? And look! The day is only half over. Perhaps more surprises await. Wonder what I have for Him?
Happy 22nd Anniversary to my very Best Friend Jesus!
“I JUST CAME AGAIN TO TELL YOU, LORD,
HOW HAPPY I’VE BEEN,
SINCE WE FOUND EACH OTHER’S FRIENDSHIP
AND YOU TOOK AWAY MY SIN.
DON’T KNOW MUCH OF HOW TO PRAY,
BUT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERYDAY.
SO, JESUS, THIS IS ME CHECKING IN.”
(Verse modified from “This is Jim, Checking In,” a popular inspirational story on the internet)
