Three Weddings, A Baptism & A Prayer

Jul 7
2 min read

The weddings were beautiful.

Sacred. Holy. Intimate. Super cool.

One bride we’ve known since kindergarten. She used to climb the tree in our front yard. We went to church with all three grooms. They’re among the finest men on the planet. My homie

Rudy read the words of Jesus:

“Love one another as I have loved you.”

The baptism was totally nuts.

After ten years of kinship, Michelle courageously professed her faith in Christ. She also confessed that if I asked her to say a few words, she'd probably throw up.

Every wedding is unique. Every baptism is too. Every one tells the story of God's faithfulness.

Michelle's baptism was transcendent.

Heaven touching earth in her mom’s backyard swimming pool. Homemade queso and buckeyes to celebrate.

At each of these holy-ground moments, I found myself praying the same simple prayer:

God, may they know the deepest nearness of You they've ever known.

A few weeks ago, our family gathered around our kitchen table to celebrate. Somewhere between laughter and another slice of pizza, the conversation turned to the goodness of God.

Someone asked, “What have been the best years of your life?”

“This one,” I said.

“And maybe the last one.”

Not because we won the lottery. Not because everything is awesome, or fully healed.

It isn’t.

It's because of the deepest nearness of God I've ever known.

Weddings. Funerals. Estrangement. Diagnosis. Loss. The birth of a child. The birth of a grandchild. The longing for a date. The 41^st Anniversary of a first date. The baptism of a friend. Seasons of feeling churchless. Jobless. Healing. Wholeness. Holiness. Kinship.

This is life.

And wherever you find yourself in it, know this:

God is at work.

Always at work.

God has come near.

God has come here.

To you.

To me.

Sometimes in hospitals.

Sometimes in wedding venues.

Sometimes in backyard swimming pools.

Sometimes, yes, even in the church.