My girls

I was asked the other day by a good friend of mine about this whole deal with confirmation. She said that she didn't get the point... didn't understand what it was all about. I was in a hurry and explained that I couldn't answer that in a mere moment... that first one must explain Baptism, the Body of Christ, circumcision, and a personal relationship with Christ. But I have a moment now and there are a few things I would like to discuss here regarding my own children and their growth as Christians.

When does your relationship with the Lord begin? Does it begin in that awesome moment when filled by the Holy Spirit everything clicks and He becomes so real that you drop to your knees and submit everything over to Him? Or does it start earlier?

Does it start when your baptismal promises are completed by your parents and your god-parents and you are sent into the world to start your walk with the Lord, to find Him in your daily life? Or was He already there… working in you long before your confirmation day.

Did your personal relationship with the Lord begin when your parents and your sponsors brought you before the congregation as an infant and promised to teach you the Ten Commandments, to fear the Lord, to seek the face of Jesus and to walk with Him all your days? Was it there at your Baptism when you first entered into a relationship with the Savior? Or was it earlier?

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me

were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:13-16

God knew you before you were conceived! He knew you and He loved you. And He wove a perfect plan into your very being, programmed it into your DNA! The Lord has been there standing over you, guiding you, working on you. Even when we can't see Him... He is there. He placed loving people in your life that took care of you and pointed your path towards Him. He guided you through your days of training and tugged at your heart when you were in doubt. He watched you in your young adulthood while you rebelled and walk away. He followed and called after you through the darkness. Relentlessly He chased after you… never giving up. And the day you realized you couldn’t go it alone- the day you realized that you were helpless without Him- and you fell prone on the ground and called out for His saving grace… He was right there ready to pick you up and make you whole. He was there!

God has a perfect plan set out for you even before you were conceived. It is only when you try and make it on your own and you move opposite of God’s perfect plan that you loose your way.

I have two children. My youngest is my daughter Charisa. Her Baptismal sponsor is Megan Mardesen. We chose her because we knew that God was sending an angel to watch over her and guide her through her life. Megan is the embodiment of everything that we believe in. Through her winding road with the Lord she has seen highs and lows… but every step of the way, GOD WAS THERE WORKING IN HER! And oh the wonderful product He has produced. If my child becomes at all like Megan, then we will be blessed.

But other than my own flesh and blood children, through this Body of Christ I have been adopted into an even more amazing family, a family of believers. Above is a picture of my two daughters in Jesus Christ. We share our ups and downs, and together we strive to know Him more. We walk daily with Him. It’s just not about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ…. Its about a DAILY personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Part of that process is surrounding yourself with strong guides to support you on the journey, friends that you will have an eternity to celebrate with in a greater Kingdom to come.

Thank you, Jesus, for Amanda and Megan, my daughters in YOU! May they lead my daughter ever towards your presence. AMEN