“Dad, what do you want for Christmas?” I asked as we sat at his table.
“I want the entire family to go to Disney World,” he said.
Dad was on a mission, but this would be no easy task to pull off. We have a big family that includes five guys and all their families. Clearing schedules, making hotel arrangements, and coordinating travel was a lot more difficult than buying him a clip-on tie. Some of my brothers had children, and others did not. Some would be used to all the noise, and others would be irritated. Some would want to ride the fast rides, and others would be content with the traditional music and pace of the ride “It’s a Small World” … all day.
But there was an urgency to the request. He had just found out he had terminal cancer and less than a year to live.
We made the plans, accomplished the mission, and spent time with Daddy. The greatest gift we could give him was being unified to give him our time.
This past month we met for our 202nd annual meeting as South Carolina Baptists. It was an incredibly unified time together, spending time with old friends and making new ones, and working together to accomplish the mission. At times we may aggravate one another, some are louder than others, and some want to go fast while others want to take it slow.
But we are family — a family of churches trying to please our Father by advancing the Great Commission together. It is not our mission. It is our Heavenly Father’s mission. What does He want with us? He wants us to be unified to give Him our time. Time to sit at His feet in relationship. Time to listen to His voice. Time to get on His agenda and not ours.
Jesus prayed for us about this very thing in John 17:20-21.
South Carolina Baptists can lead the way and show the world what it looks like to unify despite our differences. We can be an answer to Jesus’ prayer.
Time is short. There is an urgency to the mission. We do not have time to be distracted or divided. Take time to encourage one another through this Christmas season — and in the quietness, spend time with your Father. He wants you in on the mission of life transformation. It will be the best Christmas present you could give Him. It’s a small world. Let’s Go.