I remember when I first met my son Stephen. He was about 1 second old.
At times in his first few months, he’d cry inconsolably at night and I’d ask my wife Kristi, “Do we need to feed him? Do we need to change him? Do you think something’s wrong with him?” I’d lay my hand on him and pray for Jesus to help him get to sleep.
A year or so later when I’d lay him on his tummy at night in his crib, I’d place my hand on his little back and pray for Jesus to protect and save him and give him good dreams. And then I’d walk my fingers up the middle of his back and the “bug” would “bite” his neck and tickle him.
From age 9 to 19, I took Stephen to approximately 357,000 Little League games. On the way to the games we’d pray for God to help him play well, protect him, and help him have good attitudes.
Once when we were out catching insects with our home made pillow-case nets, Stephen got mired knee-deep in silt next to a pond. He screamed for help, and a guy across the road yelled, “That’s quicksand!” I sprinted to the pond, plowed into the silt up to my own knees, laid my hands on him, and hauled him out.
And today, twenty some years later, I laid my hand on my son again, along with fellow pastors CB Eder from Reading, and Joe Ryer from our own church and ordained Stephen, recognizing God’s pastoral call on his life, and praying for God’s power and blessing on him and his wonderful wife, Jen.
But I’m the one who’s blessed. I’ve always told my kids I don’t care if they are successful or not; all I care about is that they love and follow Jesus. Today I’m blessed because Jesus Christ hung on a cross and poured out his blood to pay for my sins, and for my son Stephen’s sins. And our church was blessed this morning, for we got to witness God’s faithfulness from one generation to the next:
For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:5)
What a wonderful God we serve!
