Baptism

Today I’m going to a baptism. It’s not in our church. I’m going to drive quite a way to attend a church I’ve never been to before and will probably never go to again. I’m going because I’ve been invited. I’m going because I’ve been invited by someone I know and who will be baptised. I’ve known this person for a few years. We volunteered together. My friend, as they have become, has been through some real challenges in life and especially in recent years. When we met we had some lovely conversations about life and how things turn out. We had some lovely conversations about how we might better help the people we were volunteering to help. And we did lots of things to try to make a difference. But one thing we didn’t really ever talk about was faith. It wasn’t that they didn’t know who I was or what I did. They absolutely did. But they never brought it up and neither did I. Over the years I’ve visited a few times and wondered how life will go for them. There are still many challenges because of illness and circumstances. Every now and again we’ll have text conversation and sometimes a brief telephone conversation simply to catch up and find out the latest news. And, if I’m completely honest, I never thought I’d ever go to their baptism. But today I will get in the car and drive for over an hour to do exactly that. I don’t know the story of how this has come about. I can make some guesses, but I don’t know. And…I don’t really need to know. I just have to turn up and take on my part as sponsor. I’m privileged that I’ve been invited and get to play a small part in their story. What excites me about today, is that God is obviously at work. And God is at work in ways that I never imagined he would be. In ways that I have no idea about, God is at work in the heart of my friend. I’d like to think that in some small way at least, something in our friendship has something to do with what is happening today. But that may not be true at all. God can work in ways that I have no idea about! And that is good news. Great news. I have just been reading the notes from the latest BU Council meeting where people were evidently reminded by one speaker to notice the new things God is doing in unexpected ways and places. Today has come to me as an unexpected delight. And I will love being present for this baptism, one I never expected to see. It is wonderful to see what God is doing in unexpected ways and places. And it serves to remind me of exactly that: God is at work in unexpected ways and in unexpected places. Today I get to have a front row seat! But I can hold onto this deep truth even when I see nothing. Because God is at work. Always.