Best Day of My Life

I’ve got a pretty incredible life. I don’t say that lightly. I’ve got a disability that slows me down and causes a lot of pain and inconvenience, but let me tell you, I’m living far beyond the wildest dreams of able-bodied Laura of fifteen or twenty – or even twenty-five years ago when I got baptised.

Last night I was having a blast dancing with my friend Jenny while her husband sang “La Bamba” with his band when I thought of how ten year old me choosing to follow Jesus and declare that to the world through baptism had no way to know it was a decision in my life that would eventually lead to that dance floor. Jenny and I caught the end of the gig after dessert and drinks plus a busker festival show that was an incredible Austen inspired impromptu musical. I had an absolute blast, and I love the gift of living in this place with access to these events and friends like Jenny to hang out with and enjoy life to the fullest around. I’m gifted with this life because I kept saying yes to Jesus when invitations to live in obedience came along.

Despite being packed with fun and laughter, last night doesn’t even scratch the surface of the amazing week I had that culminated in this Sunday being one of the absolute best days of my life. Over the past few months, I’ve had the privilege of carrying on lots of conversations with young people in our church about baptism. We got this week on the calendar a while back, and when all things settled into place, nine young people signed up to get baptised on this day. NINE. YOUNG PEOPLE. PUBLICLY DECLARING THEIR FAITH IN JESUS.

BEST. DAY. EVER.

I had an extra full work week as I was meeting up with a few of them to go over their testimonies to share and make sure they had all the details to show up with togs and towels and know when to change in the service and who was baptising them. Adding joy upon joy, one of the young people I was talking to this week was a young Ugandan TCK who recently started attending our church. She told her dad with confidence that she wanted me to be the one to baptise her because I was the youth pastor and she was going to spend the next five years in youth group with me closely involved in her spiritual journey. What an honour.

After this post goes live, I’ll get to baptise another young person who just graduated from my youth group. She’s on her way to uni down south in a couple of weeks, and I might have loudly advocated to push up our evening service launch this year to make space for the four extra baptisms tonight that included her being able to be baptised at our church before leaving for uni. I’m also humbled to have heard some of the other young people naming me as a nudge in their choice to get baptised. This isn’t remotely about me, but it’s so, so special to be included in this moment in their story. I can’t thank God enough for the opportunity to be included, for the invitation to share in this beautiful ministry.

There were a couple extra encouragements in my week related to the good God has ahead for me in this coming year, and I do not take lightly the opportunities to share in some precious wedding celebrations around the world and be invited to share the Gospel with a wider audience than ever before as well as to cross the line with self-publishing my memoir. With all those exciting things on the horizon plus a couple more possibilities, I know this day will always rank as one of the best for the rest of my life. NINE YOUNG PEOPLE. DECLARING THEIR FAITH IN JESUS. That’s what I’m here for. Next steps of obedience and celebration. How cool.

What more can I say? I don’t have time to tell you about my soul filling beach day, the catch up with my favourite recovering addict who’s a couple months clean, and the epic youth group neighbourhood clean up launch. I’ve just got a few pictures to show you of what has come to be one of my favourite places on the planet lately.

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This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Jan Forman

    PRAISE THE LORD FOR ALL HE IS DOING IN AND THROUGH YOUR LIFE LAURA – THRILLED FOR YOU AND THE YOUNG PEOPLE YOU HAVE CONNECTED WITH IN NZ AND AROUND THE WORLD. LOVE FROM JAN.

  2. Carol

    I love the joy that you get from seeing your young people growing in their walk with God. You are blessed by God to be a blessing to others. Love you!!!🥰

  3. ray

    grace and peace to you

  4. Chuck Felton

    Thanks for the good news.

  5. Karin

    AMEN! Hallelujah!!