Milestones and memories

You will probably never guess what happened on May 16, 1997. I doubt that it is a day most people would remember. It was a Friday, a normal Friday. Some people went to work, while others stayed home. Some went to school while others went to the beach. It was similar to any other day. The sun shone bright in Orlando, Florida. Another class was graduating from the NNPTC - Naval Nuclear Power Training Command. The parents and instructors gathered on the lawn for the ceremony. It was just another routine day.

But there was something less routine happening about four hours west of Orlando in Tampa. This event even impacted some of the sailors. A group of about ten to twenty sailors were participating in this event. One of the graduating sailors was even bringing his dad, which was fairly remarkable considering their relationship over the previous ten years. So, off this group went. The sailor and his dad drove separate from the group. They caught up with the guys the next day. It was an event one particular sailor would remember for a lifetime, or at least for the next ten years.

Not only was this a significant event, but also it was held at a significant place - Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. It is the home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for all of you professional football fans.

It was a significant event in another way. It was an all male event. This event was only for men. An event where men would gather to be encouraged by other men. What a time it was.

Looking back, the most significant part of this event was the reason for the event. These men were gathering to worship God. They were not just gathering to worship any god, but rather they were worshiping the one true God. He is the God testified to and described by the Bible. In fact, the Bible is God's Word!

So this young man, his dad, and some of his sailor friends were gathering with thousands of other men to worship God. Ironically, this man did not know God. His father knew God, but he himself did not know nor had ever known God. God, however, had special plans for this young man that night.

As the young man and his father walked into the stadium to find their seats, they were welcomed by the staple cheer at these events. One side of the stadium would yell, "We love Jesus yes we do. We love Jesus. How about you?" The opposite side would respond with the same rhyme. As this cheese-fest continued, the young man and his father progressed to their seats, mildly amused at such Christian zeal.

The music was unlike anything this young man had ever seen. While growing up in a mildly conservative Christian church, he had been exposed to average voices with average fervency. However, this Friday night was another story altogether. The music was loud. The songs were upbeat. The worship team even had a guitar and drums! There were new unfamiliar choruses as well as old classics. In fact, one of the staple songs for that years event was "A Mighty Fortress is Our God" by Martin Luther. It was a version he would never forget. In addition to the music, there was a lot of charismata. Hands were waving. Men were crying. Apparently the Spirit was a movin'. Since this young man did not know God, he just figured they were very passionate and that someday he would be able to worship with such intensity.

As the night wore on, some supposedly important men were saying some supposedly important stuff. Ten years later this young man remembers none of that. He just remembers the alter call. He was standing near the isle. His father was to his right, standing between him and the stage. At the invitation to come forward and believe in Jesus, the young man quietly headed toward the stage. As he exited the aluminum seat and proceeded to descend the cement stairs, he looked back at his dad. His dad was looking the other way and did not notice his son's movement. A small feeling of sadness invaded the young man's heart as he made his way down the field. Having dreamed of someday patrolling the gridiron, he never envisioned he would traverse the grass in this manner. As he neared the other end of the stadium, some stranger he would never see again yet never forget wrapped his arm around the young man. This compassionate man stated that this was the best decision he could ever make. The young man agreed and they continued together towards the stage.

As they walked, the young sailor felt a sort of loneliness. He had never done this before. He was all alone, seeking the forgiveness of the Sovereign God. Little did he know what his life would become!

Peering about the field, there were strange things happening. Some men were praying. Some were crying. Another man was lying there comatose. A second man was trying to support the statue-like figure, as if he could help in some way. The rest of the setting has been forgotten. As he began to pray, something happened. He felt as if a waterfall had cleansed him. He was clean! He was clean! The dirt was gone! The stain was no more! He could not describe what he felt! He knew he was different (though no one had ever really explained it that way to him). He was a changed man! But what does that mean? He just wanted to be saved from his sin. Indeed he was saved that night; and what that means is still being determined.

As he walked back to his seat, the young man really did not know what to think. He was excited to tell his dad, however he was a bit shy at the same time. Needless-to-say his dad was overjoyed. As they returned to the hotel room that night, his dad dialed mom and grandma! Both were overjoyed as they heard the news of God's work in this young man's life.

So here we are today. Ten years later. A different time zone. A different climate. A different life, but the same God. Today is a re-birthday! It is the celebration of this man's regeneration, graciously granted by the Sovereign God, who had planned from eternity past to save this young man at that specific point in time.

If you have not figured it out, that young man was me. A sailor studying to learn his job. A son struggling to please his father. A man searching to find a wife. A sinner working to save his life. The event was Promise Keepers. While not my 'para-church of choice' these days, I do appreciate the Lord's work through that event.

All of these things God used to draw me to Himself. Many times I feel as though I have been to hell and back in the last ten years. I have traveled the western hemisphere. I have been married. I have been divorced. I have been remarried. I have been given two children. I have become a Calvinist. I have battled with sin, striving to know Christ. Many have gone through far worse. Yet, it doesn't matter. Here is why.

In America we celebrate people. Because we are human we get it all wrong. At weddings we celebrate the bride. At funerals we remember the dead. At births we celebrate the baby. All of these things have their place and I do not mean to minimize any of them.

But let's consider God. At the great wedding He throws for His Son, no one will be celebrating the bride. At His death on the cross, God raised Him from the dead. While the salvation of a sinner is celebrated in the heavens, the intent is to glorify the One who gave the new life. As my wife said, we should be celebrating the giver of life more than the life itself.

So today, my ten year re-birthday, I want to celebrate God. The other stuff listed above doesn't matter because it is just the color that accentuates the picture. The glory of the Artist is at stake here! There would be no picture without the Artist! There would be no salvation without the God who saves! While it is appropriate to ponder the past and remember from where I have come, it is inappropriate to do so independent of the point of view of the Redeemer. He is the reason my life was changed. He is the reason my life will mature to Christ-likeness.

I have only been a Christian for ten years. That is slightly over thirty percent of my life. I eagerly anticipate the day when I have lived longer as a Christian than I did as a pagan. That day will be May 16, 2020. I will be able to say I have lived knowing Christ for the majority of my life! And He will still get all of the glory!