March 14 – “Mikey speaks up”

At the beginning of our service this morning at church I told everybody about Mom's baptism.  I explained how she wanted to do it to show that she had made her own choice to follow Jesus.  No sooner had I finished that comment, than a young man who has been coming for several weeks now raised his hand.  Mikey said he, too, recently chose for himself to follow Jesus and was wondering if it would be all right if he got baptized as well.  Wow.  Now that's humbling for a preacher.  It's like God said, "That's OK, Son, I really don't need you for this one.  Let's skip to the rejoicing part."    When I announced that next Sunday is our regular Third Sunday Dinner on the Grounds day and everyone should bring something to eat, Mikey again raised his hand.  He wanted to know if he could bring a project he did for one of his classes.  He is in the culinary school at Galveston College, so I said sure.  He still wanted to make sure it would be appropriate, so he described it.  He understood the assignment to be a simple one – bake a cake.  It wasn't until he was almost finished that he found out it was supposed to be a themed cake.  So he did some scrambling.  The cake became a makeshift hill, with rocks and boulders and grass.  At the top of the hill was a cross.  And on the cross he somehow fashioned a chocolate Jesus.  His theme?  It was his "Jesus Cake."  I for one wanted to see that cake.  And I was not alone.  Everybody encouraged him to bring it on.  It didn't hit me until later … I wonder if we'll be eating that same cake that will be a few weeks old by then, or will he make a new one?  Doesn't matter.  I still want to see the Jesus cake.   Chris had to head back to Bay City again this afternoon, but this time it looks like it's just for one day.  She's supposed to be home tomorrow evening, unless her Mom needs more blood or something.  I really hope not.  We're supposed to see Josh and Christi and the boys on Tuesday.   Luke 15:7 says, "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."   Father, any time you want to skip to the rejoicing, that's fine with me.  Amen.