There are those special moments in time, that you know only God can produce and provide. These are the moments that make memories and you never want to let the moment go. Though the moments are fleeting, the memories are forever.
The day of my baptism was August 7, 2005. I was 55 years old and at long last, I was being baptized. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Family and friends came to witness and share this most blessed day of my life. It was like an old time baptism. I was baptized in a lake in the wide-open spaces of God’s creation. It was a glorious day.
My journey to get to this point in my life had not been an easy one. I had filled my life with so many excuses for not becoming a Christian. “I’m not worthy enough. I am a sinner. Could God really love someone like me? Most important to me I questioned if He too would abandon me as so many others have? Could I believe in something or someone that would love me no matter who I was or what I had done? Could I trust on faith alone? The answer at long last was “yes.” Yes, I could be loved and forgiven. He would teach me about trust and faith now that I was beginning my walk with Him. Once he calls your name out loud, you are never the same, nor would you wish to be. He gently whispers His invitation. He has chosen me. If I accept the truth of the Cross, accept Jesus as my savior, and receive the Holy Spirit within, I will begin an amazing journey. I had learned that we are given choices and those choices can make or break a life. Fortunately for me, God was and is gently guiding me, though I did not know Him well. I knew Him well enough that He was always there for me as a child, as a youth, and as a confused angry adult. God was watching and waiting. God was always faithful, even when I was not. From time to time, I would attend a church, seeking Him, more so seeking His son Jesus. Something always kept me from finding my salvation. I would then put God on a shelf, go on about my life. He never ceased calling me, never. The people God brings into our lives has always been a mystery to me. It makes a difference whose path we cross and for how long. Some people are just acquaintances. Others are casual friends and others become good friends. Over time they come and go with the ebb and flow of life. Christmas cards once a year, perhaps a lunch once or twice a year.
In some cases, others we just lose contact with, and then there are the ones God calls home.
God brought a special person into my life. A person I came to trust, admire and begin an incredible journey. It was the journey to my salvation. She was my best friend, my soul sister, my confidant. We shared much together, the laughter, the tears, in a growing passion for Christ and all the things we would do in the name of the Lord. We made a mission trip to Mexico and have dreams of more to come. We were going to change the world for the glory of God. Other than my husband, I have never believed or trusted a human being as much as this person. She was one of the vessels God used to help me find Jesus. God brings people together for a reason, for a season. It has been a couple of years since my baptism. As I mentioned the ebb and flow of life, we never know God’s plans for us, nor do we always understand. This friend and I are no longer close. I am not completely sure as to the whys, the hows. Lack of good communication, miscommunication or no communication at all, led to dreams left to be dreamed. On the other hand, maybe the dreams are for sharing with others. I have a vacant place in my heart that will never be quite the same. What I have learned is that God is always there when friends fail or let you down or simply go away. I have to trust God’s grace and will in this matter. Perhaps all that she was meant to be was God’s vessel and that all that was to come from the relationship was at long last my salvation, for that I am blessed by having known her. I do not always understand His ways and methods and the pain that it sometimes brings. He is my Lord and I trust in Him to heal my hurts. Most importantly, I learned, GOD WILL NOT ABANDON ME. People will, but I now know GOD NEVER WILL ABANDON ME.
So, I had a season, brief as it was with this wonderfully unique woman. She was my best friend, soul sister, accountability partner and confidant. I will always remember that right after I was baptized, I walked over to the side of the lake to watch the remaining people being baptized that day. I was lost in the excitement of being saved, lost with the Lord in thoughts. Then I heard footsteps in the gravel and I turned to my friend’s hug. She was there to hold me, to share the joys of Christ. A memory made, another season over. I do not know if someday our paths will bring us to be friends again. What I do know is that whenever I hear footsteps on gravel, I go back to a wonderful moment in time and am blessed with wonderful memories. “Love one another,” that is what God wants us to do. The high spots of life often come when friends encourage your efforts and celebrate your victories.
Copyright © May, 2007 – Emily Schwefferman. All rights reserved.
