Way Behind... Still Moving Forward

I know, I haven't posted in quite a while. Sorry about that. Here comes a new one...

I officiated at a wedding this weekend. Nancy (my wife) has always told me that I wouldn't be allowed to do the weddings of my children, instead I would have to play the role of "father." What she also knows is that I cry like a baby at the thought of it, I'd never get through a wedding. I've known Mindy since 1999 and Caleb since 2001, so when Gil (Mindy's dad) said, this is as close as you'll come to doing a wedding for your children, he was so right. I cried through most of it.

Nevertheless, I got to witness something very special that most people didn't notice. At a point in the wedding it was time to light the unity candle (which was on the altar behind where I'm standing in the picture.) Caleb and Mindy stepped forward and I stepped aside where I could see their faces, but the congregation couldn't. Jennifer (Mindy's sister) sang a song that was longer than the time it took to light the candle. So Caleb and Mindy stood there with some extra time on their hands. They both looked at each other, mouthed "I love you" several times and glanced over at the candle occassionally. Finally, both of them looked up at the cross and fixed their gaze upon it.

For the last several weeks we've been doing a sermon series and book study entitled "One Month To Live." Today's subject was "Leave Boldly." We focused on the question of what kind of legacy you hope to leave when you're time on earth is through. My answer? If I can have an impact on the people I encounter that causes them to focus on the cross during those important, life changing moments of their lives, I will have done far more to than I could ever hope.