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Brittnia's
Here! Author's Note: Today I get to share a story about a very special young lady in our life, Brittnia Brandl. We wanted to write up something special and send it out for her birthday today. I have been planning this story in my head for the past year, but have to say that the ending I just finished writing was not how I envisioned it in my head... but you'll just have to read the story to find out! Happy Birthday Brittnia! We love you! You can send your own birthday wishes to her if you like.Her email address is at the end of the story...Michael ================================================== "Brittnia's here!!" shouted Caleb and Connor in stereo sound as they saw our baby-sitter get out of her car and walk up the sidewalk to our house. Joyful dancing and a good test of our sofa's warranty followed as my two jumped up and down on the furniture and acted like Christmas morning was here once again. Caleb then ran to the door to let her in, while Connor continued to act as if he had just won a lifetime supply of candy. Kristi and I smiled as we watched the scene unfold before us -- a scene that gets repeated no matter how often Brittnia comes to our house. But it also made us both realize how incredibly blessed we are to have her in our life. We first met Brittnia Brandl when she walked into basketball practice during her freshman year of high school, and she soon took up permanent residency in our family's heart. Kristi and I began to pray for Brittnia whenever we thought of her--which was often. We got to know her a little better as each month went by until I permanently bonded with her during her sophomore year. Jamie Rusch and I went to visit Brittnia in the hospital one afternoon to see how she was doing after her knee surgery. She was fresh out of the operating room and we came to try and cheer her up. When we walked into the room, we were rewarded with a big smile, followed by a wave of vomiting. Yes, nothing shows your gratitude like stomach bile! I told Brittnia that once you throw-up in front of someone, you become friends for life! Professor Richard Weaver once stated that what often sets a successful person apart from others are three simple words: "and then some." Brittnia figured this out a long time ago. When she was playing basketball for me she worked hard, had a great attitude, loved and respected her team mates,and then some. When she helps me videotape weddings for my video production business, she puts in a full day's work and then some. She shows up earlier than expected, stays later than she needs to, and complains that we pay her too much money. She is the model employee. But nothing compares to how she is as a baby-sitter! She is trustworthy, dependable, responsible, goes out of her way to accommodate us, and then some! The very first time Brittnia baby-sat for us we knew we had someone special. From the time she walked in the door until the time she left our house, she gave our boys 100% of her time and attention. While some teenagers might be known for calling their boyfriends, watching TV, or doing their homework while they baby-sit, Brittnia spends her time playing hide-and-go-seek, tag, and reading countless books to my overactive children. She has role-played the Lion King so many times that I think she must secretly shudder at the name "Mufasa," as much as the hyenas do in the Disney movie! ("Mufasa! Mufasa! Mufasa!") One night, Caleb jumped on her back for a piggy-back ride as we were leaving the house in her capable hands. Kristi and I went to dinner, but had to stop back at the house two hours later for something before we went to a movie. As we walked up to the door we could see Brittnia walking around the living room, with a monkey-boy named Caleb clingingto her back. I know better than to think that my boy had stayed there for the entire two hours, but I can honestly say that it wouldn't surprise me if it were true. Many times as we walk up to our house while Brittnia is baby-sitting, we will pause outside of the window for a minute and watch her as she lovingly plays with, reads to, and cares for our two rambunctious boys. In all things in her life, Brittnia does what is expected of her and then some. In the past four years she has earned our respect, our loyalty, and our love. We are extremely proud of our Brittnia for everything she does in her life, but never were we more proud than when we found out that she had committed her life to Christ towards the end of her freshman year. She shared with us that one night she went into her room, cried, and prayed for Jesus to come into her heart. She asked Him to take over her life because she needed help.She took all of the things she was dealing with at the time, and surrendered everything over to Jesus. She became a new creation... This past Sunday, Brittnia was baptized. She stood before family and friends and made a public profession of her faith in Christ. Kristi and I had been looking forward to sharing this important day with her since she first told us when she was getting baptized, a little over two months ago. We could just picture her beaming face as she would stare out over the crowd and make eye contact with those who love her dearly... Caleb, our five-year-old was so excited Sunday morning as we were getting ready to leave our house. "Daddy! We get to go see Brittnia get pushed in the water today, don't we?!" On the ride to Brittnia's church, Kristi and I explained to Caleb all about baptism and what it stands for in a believer's life. All four of us were anticipating Brittnia's big day... I dropped Kristi off at the door and then went to find a parking spot. I had Connor with me and when we walked into the sanctuary, I saw that the baptism had already started. A numbness crept towards my heart. For one of the few times in our life we thought we were early -- twenty minutes early! I looked at Kristi and asked, "Please tell me that Brittnia hasn't been baptized yet?" She didn't answer right away, and my stomach turned to ice. Kristi confirmed that Brittnia has already been "pushed into the water." It turned out that the baptism started at 12:00 and not 12:30 as we incorrectly thought. Both of us had the time wrong and the invitation mocked us with the correct time when we got home... There were about 15-20 believers being baptized that afternoon and I sat there, totally numb as the pastor finished up with the last seven or eight people. I wanted to cry. I wanted to ask the pastor if he could do it again.I wanted it all to be some kind of a bad dream that I could wake up from... We let our Brittnia down... We had wanted to make eye contact with Brittnia, just before she walked to the baptismal and tell her that we loved her... We had wanted to silently pray for her young life just as the pastor said, "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit..." We had wanted our two young sons to see Brittnia as she publicly let everyone know that four years earlier she asked Jesus to forgive her of her sins, come into her life, and had given total control of everything over to God. We had hoped that it might make an impression on them even at their early ages... We had wanted to watch Brittnia's future husband, Jeff, as he also got baptized, and pray for their young relationship, that it might stay strong... But it wasn't meant to be... Jamie Rusch, another former basketball player, who was sitting in front of me leaned back and whispered, "If it is any conciliation, Brittnia's face got really red just before she was baptized." That made me smile, as everyone who knows Brittnia, knows that she blushes easily... Caleb, who was sitting on my lap finally realized that it was over and that Brittnia hadn't been baptized yet. "Awwwwwwww! Brittnia didn't get dunked!!" he shouted. We gave Brittnia a hug afterwards, wet hair and all, and she asked us if we got to see it. I had to tell her that we were about four minutes too late, and that we had the time mixed up. She reassured us that it was all right, but I felt my stomach tighten into knots again. Not your ordinary knots either, but the kind that only an Eagle Scout could tie. All day I have asked myself, and God, why? "Why God? Why did we havet o miss this important day in our Brittnia's life?" But Brittnia, I wanted to share this with you today, on your 19th birthday. will always be there for you. He never makes promises He can't keep and He is never, ever late in His timing. He will be your Friend when your friends fail you. He will be your Parent when your parents fail you. He will be your Husband when your future husband fails you, and he will fill the void that is in all of our lives like nothing else can... Brittnia, Jesus will bless your life and then some. He will provide for all of your needs, both emotionally and physically, and then some. He will comfort you when you are down and then some. He will make your marriage work when there seems to be no hope, and then some. He will bless you with wonderful children, loving friends and family, and then some. You could be our baby-sitter for the next twenty years. You could help me with my video business for the next fifty and be the perfect employee. You could have been born fourteen years later and ended up marrying Caleb and be the perfect daughter-in-law.... But there is nothing, absolutely nothing you could ever do that would top giving your life to Jesus like you have done. That makes us the happiest people on the face of the whole earth! No matter what happens the rest of our lives, no matter how close we may get to you, it all pales before the thought that we will get to spend the rest of eternity with our Brittnia. We love you... and then some! Happy Birthday!! Michael T. Powers Send me an email and let
me know what you thought of this story! Better yet, send
Brittnia an email and wish her a happy 19th birthday for
me!!! Her email address is: BR22000@aol.com ***** Michael is happily married to his high school sweetheart Kristi, and has two boys: Caleb (5 years old) and Connor (2 years old). He is an author, speaker, business owner, high school girl's coach, and founder of "Straight From the Heart." He also pays much closer attention to details now... You can visit his website at: http://www.MichaelTPowers.com "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 Spiritual
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