Often in our
church we have baby dedications during our Sunday morning services. It’s an
important event in the life of our church. New parents, along with their
families and friends, show up in their Sunday best and make a statement to the
world by publicly dedicating their baby to the Lord.
We believe that children, up until a certain age, are too young to make a decision to be baptized because they don’t yet understand enough about why we are commanded by Jesus to be baptized and what it means to their Christian walk. Therefore, we encourage parents to dedicate their baby to the Lord until he or she is old enough to decide on their own to be baptized. It’s always a beautiful and moving part of our service.
We believe that children, up until a certain age, are too young to make a decision to be baptized because they don’t yet understand enough about why we are commanded by Jesus to be baptized and what it means to their Christian walk. Therefore, we encourage parents to dedicate their baby to the Lord until he or she is old enough to decide on their own to be baptized. It’s always a beautiful and moving part of our service.
One Sunday
morning we were having a baby dedication in our service. The young family
arrived early and they were shown to their seats. A host walked them through
the process of what would take place that morning. They were very excited. As part
of the celebration, a beautifully decorated cake was specially ordered to share
after the service. When the cake arrived, my sister, Robbie, just happened to be
in the lobby. Since there was no one else around at the time, the caterer
handed the cake to Robbie and asked her to take care of it. Panic suddenly
struck Robbie as she carefully held the cake in her hands. It was a gorgeous
cake with white frosting and pink roses. Robbie finally found out that the
celebration was to take place in a back room and so she was told to take the
cake there and leave it on one of the tables.
When Robbie
arrived in the room there was a small table sitting in the corner. Robbie carefully
placed the cake down on the table and started to walk away. She was so relieved
to get the cake out of her hands and safely on the table. However, as she was
walking out of the room she heard a weird sound, kind of like a creaking sound.
As she turned around to look at the cake, she could see the table was leaning
to one side. Robbie felt like she was moving in slow motion as she tried to get
back to the table to save the cake, but just as she was about to grab the cake,
the table collapsed and the cake along with it. Of course, the cake fell icing
side down onto the floor. Robbie’s heart sank. What should she do?
Fortunately, a
friend, Donna, heard the commotion and came running into the room. She saw
Robbie down on the floor, trying to scrape the cake up with her hands.
“Please, help
me!” Robbie shouted to the Donna. “We can still save the cake. No one will
know! Help me!” As she began picking up pieces of the cake, it just crumbled in
her hands. This was a disaster! The cake was completely ruined. As they
examined the table, they discovered that it only had three legs and someone had propped it up against the wall. It was very deceiving. It looked like a solid foundation for the cake, but things are not always as they appear.
Donna quickly
pulled Robbie up from the floor, away from the cake. She knew the cake could not
be served, but apparently she had to convince Robbie to give up on her rescue
mission. Thinking quickly on her feet, Donna called a nearby market and ordered
a brand new cake. It would not be as beautiful as the original cake, but at least it
would be free of dirt and dust from the floor. Donna told Robbie to just leave
it to her and to go into the service. She would take care of everything from
there.
Robbie entered
the service looking like she was in shock. When she told me what happened, I
have to confess, I spent the rest of the service laughing until I cried. Robbie
didn’t see the humor in the situation. Me? I always see the humor, right or
wrong.
The baby
dedication went off without a hitch after that. The family and friends gathered
in the room for cake and punch. None them were wise to what had taken place
just an hour before the celebration. The day was saved.
Unfortunately, the foundation
Robbie chose was unstable, even though it appeared to be solid and safe. It’s
so important that we choose the right foundation on which to build our life.
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation
as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should
build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already
laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:10-11
(NIV)
In this world
there are so many people building their lives on an unstable foundation because
they made a choice not to build Christ into their lives. Make sure you start
with the right foundation, Jesus Christ. No other foundation will
do. Don’t run the risk of building everything on a foundation that will, without
a doubt, eventually crumble and topple over. You will find yourself down on the
floor scraping up the remaining bits and pieces of your life. Jesus is the only
solid foundation to build on. Start there and you will be sure of a successful
life here and in the hereafter.
“He will be the sure foundation for your times, a
rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is the
key to this treasure.” Isaiah 33:6 (NIV)
Life can be
shaky at times; leaving you feeling like everything might fall right out from
under you at any moment. But if you have built your life on the sure foundation
of Jesus, you will have an unlimited source of salvation, wisdom and knowledge.
Build on the fear of the Lord. This fear doesn’t mean being afraid of what God
might do to you, but it means respecting and acknowledging God in every area of
life. Acknowledging Him as your source for all you need for an exciting and
successful life, even in the middle of difficult seasons, will ensure you will
make it through anything life may throw at you. Your foundation will stand
strong in the face of storms and uncertain times. Stay away from the
three-legged tables that the world offers you. They may look solid, but they
cannot stand the test of time. That's a sure recipe for upside down cake.
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