There are two things I highly recommend doing if one has the chance.
The first is getting baptized.
And the second is having a wedding.
There are obviously very spiritual, meaningful and significant reasons why someone would choose to do either of those things, and those reasons are of supreme importance, yet there’s a different aspect of both that I feel like writing about.
Because at both my baptism this past weekend and my wedding several months ago, never have I felt more loved and valued than in those two instances. There’s simply nothing like embarking on an important moment in your faith and being able to look around and see many of the friends and family members that have helped to shape you into who you are. Likewise, and to an even greater extent, the feeling of beginning a journey with your spouse and having almost every person you love and cherish surrounding you, affirming you, and encouraging you is unlike anything else I’d ever experienced.
It seems like celebratory moments like these bring out stories, affirmation, and encouraging words that wouldn’t otherwise be verbalized. People telling you how much you’ve meant to them, how proud they are of you, etc.
But what if we didn’t wait until someone’s wedding to make them feel loved and valued in these ways? What if we intentionally created moments like these, not because it’s a birthday, wedding, or anniversary, but just for the heck of it?
Someday I would love to throw a surprise party for someone just to celebrate that person’s life and what their friendship has meant to me and others.
I’m incredibly grateful for the people in my life who have supported me and encouraged me as I’ve grown into the man that I am today. Unfortunately, far too many people have probably never experienced the kind of love and feeling of being valued that I’m talking about.
So, who can you encourage? Who should you tell how much they’ve meant to you? Don’t wait for a wedding. -CK
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