Bridges and Safety Nets

Last Sunday, our church family honored our Class of 2026 high school graduates. Graduate Recognition Sunday happened to fall on Pentecost, where the Church celebrates the gift of God’s Holy Spirit that empowers us to speak and act toward one another in love—always—as an extension of the stedfast love of God.

That steadfast love was emphasized in the sermon preached by The Rev. Brooke Dooley, our Associate Pastor to Youth and Young Adults. While Pastor Brooke’s message spoke directly to our three graduates—Chloe, Kylen, and Ruthie—it was something all of us needed to hear in the deepest yearning of our souls.

Likewise, there’s a letter I wrote to our daughter, Ruthie, earlier this year, that speaks to her, but resonates with everyone’s desire, including mine: to be loved so fiercely that we never lose ourselves in life’s pitfalls. I read that letter aloud to her on her graduation day with her extended family listening in.

So, for today’s Midweek Message, I want to honor our church’s graduates by offering two excerpts: one from Brooke’s sermon, and one from my letter to Ruthie, both of which will hopefully speak to all of us.

From the sermon, titled, “The Language of Belonging”: “On this Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate your new beginnings, and the guiding wind of the Spirit, which gave your church the privilege to be your people as you grew into the women that you are today. You are filled with a Spirit who advocates for you on your journey, who will celebrate you as you continue to grow, who will soothe your hair when life becomes too difficult. And you will encounter new ways to speak to all of the people you will encounter, and they will each be better for having known you. The Holy Spirit and her grace will build you a bridge when you feel divided from the grace you always deserve; and all you will ever have to do is breathe deeply, know that you are very cherished, and you will be filled with the love that will not let you go. Thanks be to God.”

And from my letter to Ruthie, written January 9, 2026: “Sometimes I think about why your mom, your brother, you, and I tell each other “I love you” so often. I suppose “I love you”s are like batteries in a flashlight that keeps shining a light in the darkness on a safety net that’s always there. The safety net is encouragement and support, forgiveness and grace, patience and understanding, companionship and solidarity, guidance and wisdom, connection and belonging. The safety net is everything. But in our low moments, we can lose sight of it. We need a light to keep our eyes on what’s real and true and always there. God help us if the batteries die and we can’t find backups. That’s why we have to keep the ‘I love you’s coming.”

“I love you, Ruthie. I love you when you’re at your best and when you’re at your worst. I love you when you reach your hand out to hold mine, and when you turn away and keep it from me. I love you when you smile and laugh at me, and when you roll your eyes at me. I love you no matter what. And while I can’t say it enough for the message to sink in, I pray that you will never forget it. The thought of you somehow not knowing where you are in the darkness is what haunts me more than anything as your parent. You’re never alone, even when your flashlight won’t work. You are relentlessly loved, and you are loved for who you are. So, one more time for good measure, I love you.”

I hope these messages touch your heart’s desire, that you would never lose sight of yourself as essential to the heart of God. So, one more time for good measure, God loves you.