We have our candidates do a video to show before the actual baptism. This is how he started it: "My name is Daniel. From the first time I came here, people remembered my name." As soon as Daniel said that, I started weeping uncontrollably sitting there on the front row. Why? He went on to say, "I have a cleft pallet. Because of that, I haven't been able to be very successful in life. I guess people think I'm retarded or something." As he spoke this, you could see the deep pain on his face as his eyes grew moist. I wept even harder.
To be a church where people, no matter their state in life, are known and cared for . . . that's greatness. From Daniel's opening statement, God touched my heart and whispered: "This is what church is all about, Russ!"
The expanded view is this: the God who created the universe with it's trillions of stars (astronomers say a new star is being born somewhere every second!) knows Daniel's name, and he knows mine, and he knows yours. Beyond that, He is infinitely acquainted with our challenges, our despair, our circumstances. To think that He knows us that intimately is beyond my comprehension. I'm left to bask in the warmth of that love with a gratitude that grows each day. Greatness!
That's a great story and a great truth. To the extent that we care for other people is the extent to which they will realize that we care about their eternity as well.
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