Memorial day is a day for remembering those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom, but it is a good spiritual discipline to remember. I took some time today to just remember...just to sit and watch the bunnies in my back yard and some two kids playing baseball and just kinda praying, thinking, day-dreaming. Here are some things I remember...
I remember on a hot summer day like this that we would hear the ice cream truck and go running into the house to scrounge some change. the rich kids got the "bomb pop" - red,white and blue frozen ice. We paupers went for the 25 cent drumstick..and we were happy with that.
I remember throwing baseballs with a friend for hours on end. This is the way guys communicate. We would pitch back and forth and talk about everything - school, professional sports, God, rarely girls.
I remember wanting to be a preacher more than anything else in the world. Thought it would be the coolest if I could talk about the Bible for a living...still do.
I remember our church growing up going to McCormick Creek state park nearly Indianapolis for an all church picnic. It was a lot of fun and some adult usually broke some bone from playing too hard.
I remember that it is always hot on Memorial day and that there are a lot more American flags than usual. I'm a Christian first and then an American, but I love to see the red, white and blue. I'm the guy who gets choked up now when I'm at a baseball game and sing the star spangled banner with 35,000 people I dont' really know...oh yeah and go REDS.
I remember growing up poor and not caring about it and thinking our back yard was big (now that I've revisited it, it really wasn't - just like the church building, my high school and our street.
I remember coming to Eastview as a youth pastor and thinking that I'd be around for about three years and then I'd go preach somewhere...fifteen and a half years later, I'm coming up on my fourth anniversary as the senior pastor (June 1). I also remember more time to have casual conversations, going around town and not being recognized and not waking up at night thinking about stuff at church. All good, just remember before all of this.
Well, that's what I remember today...how about you?
Monday, May 30, 2011
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2 comments:
I remember sitting in our little church of maybe sixty people on a good day. I'm eight years old, holding my dad's World War II hand as the choir sings The Battle Hymn of the Republic and then Illinois. I'm watching the tears sliding slowly down dad's face and not really understanding why and then he catches my eye, smiles and whispers, "Some day you'll understand." Now I do and I cry too.
Melissa
I remember listening to your messages and having God change my life through you. I remember getting to church early and seeing the stool was there on the stage rather than the pulpit, and knowing it was a Mike Baker Sunday and that God was likely to be speaking to me that day. Thank you for all you give. I have been so blessed through you. Miss you and Eastview very much since moving away :(
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