November 20 – “Two beginnings”

Interesting Saturday.  Full Saturday.  It started out with a funeral in the morning.  Not one that I was officiating, though.  This one was for a lady who lived in Jamaica Beach.  Her husband has been a police officer, and even the mayor there over the years.  I knew him, but never got to meet her, as far as I can remember.  A lot of the community turned out for the ceremony, though.  I was introduced to the new pastor of First Baptist Church in Galveston.  (We almost met him at the convention last week.  We were apparently two or three booths behind him in the exhibit hall.  The exhibitors were amazed by the fact the two people from Galveston were visiting their booths just moments apart.  We never did make contact, though).  Two pastors led out in the service, and several of her friends managed to share some really nice eulogistic remarks.  I was surprised by two young brothers who used to hang out around Seaside all the time.  They are now working and one even has a youngster of his own.  They both seem happy, and I appreciated their respect and especially their hugs.  Funerals of believers are always much more peaceful.  The family understands that death is just the beginning of a brand new adventure.

Speaking of beginnings, last night we took Cailyn with us to the much-anticipated wedding in the fire station.  And I have to say, I was impressed.  They transformed the bay into what could only be described as a huge wedding chapel.  All of those swoops of material hanging from the center really worked to make the “Big Top Ten” a really  beautiful venue.  They even had an ice sculpture with their names and last initial carved into it.  Some of the guys from the fire department were there, of course, so it was good to connect with them.  The groom and one of the groomsmen went to the fire academy with Nathan.  He did everything he could to switch shifts with someone, but I guess the holidays made it impossible.  One of the four top Galveston chiefs was in the wedding party.  Two others were in attendance, and the third sent his wife to represent him.  Of course the Santa Fe chief was the father of the groom.  That’s some high-level brass representation there. 

Just before the ceremony one of the fire fighters asked me, “Are you a real preacher?  Uh, I mean are you a real preacher with a real church?”  wondering where he was coming from, I assured him that I was pastor of a church in Jamaica Beach.  He replied, “When I got married I wanted you to do my wedding, but my Dad insisted that it be a real preacher of a real church and I didn’t know if you were one.”  I think that was sort of a complement.  After the ceremony one of the fire fighter wives approached me and told me she really appreciated the way I worked sharing the gospel into the ceremony.  Always good to hear that kind of encouragement. 

The ceremony itself went off pretty much without a hitch.  All the guests were seated at tables, so the only chairs were reserved for family members.  The kids involved figured out where they were to sit, and they made their way up to the sand ceremony table at just the right time.  The bride and groom did show their nerves at one point.  I asked them to join right hands.  The joined left, then right to left, then both.  I finally reached out and touched the correct hands and whispered, “Put this one, here.”  Of course the sound system was turned way up, so any whisper was magnified for the whole crowd to hear.  We got through it all, though, and everyone seemed to enjoy it. 

Ephesians 3:12 says, “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”

Father, encourage Stave and his family as they move through their grief, and walk with Chris and Ashlyn and Trent and Mackenzie and Cameron as they work together to form a brand new family.  Amen.