Reflections on Turning Three

Our younger son, David, will be turning three in December. It has been amazing to watch him grow. First he smiled. After that came laughter. Then he started rolling over, crawling, sitting up, standing up, walking, climbing, singing, drawing, and running. Pretty soon he will be able to stop using diapers, get dressed, read, make his bed, write, clean the house, mow the lawn, and preach sermons. I’m so grateful for the people who invest so much time and energy in him: his mom, brother, grandparents, teachers, friends, babysitters, and others. One of the things I like most about David is that he is so joyful and he loves being around people. It is exciting watching him grow and develop. I can’t wait to see what God has planned for David’s future.

This morning, The Water’s Edge will be three years old. The growth and development has been much like watching a child grow and develop. I remember the early days. The second week we had a one man band. Our group of volunteers was very small, but dedicated. The eighty people or so who worshipped with us easily fit into the front half of the lunch room at Russell Middle School. I’m so grateful for the people who have invested so much time and energy in this ministry: the visionaries who dreamed this dream long before I had even heard of Faith-Westwood. The people of Faith-Westwood who have supported this ministry with their prayers, energy, and resources. The volunteers who give so much time and energy. This ministry simply would not be happening without the volunteers. The new people who have taken a courageous step of faith to worship with us. I love Sunday mornings. It is a joy for me to see people who love being around each other, people who have ownership in a ministry, and new people getting connected to God and to other people on this journey we call life. It is exciting watching this ministry grow and develop. I can’t wait to see what God has planned for the future of The Water’s Edge.

I have dreams for David. They are more generic than specific. I hope he finds himself in a web of relationships that nourish him and give him an opportunity to be patient and kind. I dream that he shows love and charity to the hurting and to strangers. I pray that he finds something that he loves doing and that whatever it is he loves doing intersects with the world’s deepest hurts and needs. I want him to be part of somebody’s testimony. And most of all, I pray that he experiences the love of God through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:18-19).

A few weeks ago we had about ninety kids under 5th grade in The Frog Pond. I remember blessing their backpacks during worship. A week later we had over 450 adults in worship. As I looked at the kids one week and the adults the next week, I got a glimpse of what God can do through a group of ordinary people. I can’t wait to see what the next three years will bring.

In Christ,

Craig