September 3 – “Peace in the storm”

Yesterday was a good day.  I mean in spite of the tropical system sitting over us dropping rain in buckets and the tropical system approaching later this week which is expected to have time to become at least a tropical storm.  It’s not supposed to hit us head on, and we are at this point projected to be on the “clean” side of the bad wind and tidal issues, but this is a Gulf system.  You never know what they will do …

So, back to the good day.  We were unstacking chairs again to accommodate all the people who came to worship.  The four families from India who are staying in the retreat center joined us.  As did young thirteen-year-old Benjamin and his mom and aunt, who were there for his baptism.  That’s right.  With all the rain we still were looking at a baptism at the beach.  I told Benjamin’s mom that the only thing that would prevent me from heading out there would be lightning.  She readily agreed, and Benjamin was chomping at the bit to get it done.

As the service ended the rain was coming down pretty steadily, but we had heard no thunder.  I gave Benjamin and his mom one last chance to call it off, but they would have none of it.  We were on, and we were headed to the beach.  She did ask that I tell the congregation they really didn’t have to come out to the beach with them.  She didn’t want to put anyone out.  I chuckled to myself, but dutifully reported her offer.  With the final chord complete, we opened the doors and headed on to the beach.  Some folks went in cars.  Others drove golf carts.  By the time I had walked down there (Hey, I figured, “I’m gonna get wet anyway.  Why worry about the rain?”) I was met by a sea of umbrellas (Get it? Sea?).  A few folks even tried to make sure I was adequately covered, even though I was already drenched.  As we stood around, chatting and waiting for the last few folks to show up, suddenly a clap of thunder woke us all up.  Without me saying much of anything the circle began to close up.  I called for the rest to huddle up, we had a prayer, and Benjamin and I, as well as Josh, my baptism helper for the day and Walt, one of our great laymen who decided to become Benjamin’s own self-appointed cheerleader for the event headed into the Gulf.  When Benjamin came up out of the water, Walt literally screamed in excitement for him.  So the first sounds Benjamin heard after his baptism, were words of encouragement and enthusiasm.  How great is that?  We all made it back to the church, some wetter than others, but all of us intact and protected from the storm raging around us. 

Psalms 96:11 says, “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it”

Father, thank you for the spiritual lesson of peace through obedience in the midst of the storm.  Amen.