Do you have any, “What does this mean?” moments in your life? We all probably need to have these kinds of moments, I believe. It would do us good! This question comes out of my reading in the Old Testament. Currently I’m reading through the book of Exodus and I’m in the midst of the story of the Hebrew people leaving Egypt. Something I read this morning really stuck with me.
Moses is explaining the rituals and the practices that the people need to follow, even in – especially in the future. Then, when a child asks, “What does this mean?” the opportunity is given for another person to explain the story of the great thing God did in the midst of the Hebrew people.
Over the years of my ministry, I’ve had a number of friends who have been faithfully following the path of recovery. One individual always proudly showed me his most recent chip. If I remember right, he was up to like 25 years. He would carry that chip in his pocket, and whenever the opportunity presented itself that someone saw that medallion he was carrying and they’d ask him about it, that became an opportunity for him to talk about what God and AA had done in his life. He’d share how the battle wasn’t over and that it was a daily thing, but with the power of faith and accountability, he was still walking the good walk of sobriety.
Why do couples celebrate their wedding anniversary or a dating anniversary? Because it’s an opportunity to remember the day they first really connected or made a vow to each other. It’s a time of celebrating the past year, and in a sense to recommit themselves to each other for the year to come. One of the things that I do with a couple just days before I officiate their wedding ceremony, is that I have them write a letter to each other. In the letter they are to share their love, their hopes and dreams, as well as what brought them to this moment of committing themselves to journey onward in life as a married couple. I then have them seal those letters in an envelope, and then we send them those letters in a year, so they have them at their first anniversary. I then encourage them to keep those letters and read them every year as a reminder of their wedding day and their thoughts and feelings in that moment.
Yesterday I participated in the inauguration of Dr. Daniel Kittle as the new president of Dakota Wesleyan University. Yes, there was a lot of pageantry and symbolism about the day and the ceremony. There were also a lot of pictures being taken. All of it was done to help create the moment and the memory, that in future days Dr. Kittle, and the leadership of DWU, can look back on that event and remember the hope, the commitment, the covenant, and even the dreams that were held in that moment. But also, when some individual sees one of these pictures, they will ask the question, “What does this mean?” and it is likely someone close by will be able to explain the importance of what was happening in that picture.
So, what is your, “What does this mean?” moment? Maybe we should celebrate the anniversary of a person committing their life to be a Jesus follower. Part of our task as a faith family is to help people celebrate and remember the important moments that define our faith. Maybe we need to create more moments in which people will ask, “What does this mean?” It is through the telling of these simple, yet powerful stories, that we share our faith and let others know what God has done and is doing in our lives yet today. Think about it today…what is your story? And what does this mean? Yes, God is still in the life transformation business…one day at a time!!
Serving Together,
Pastor Keith