Best friends baptized together
By Ruth Schenk | .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
When Riggs Hardy, 9, wanted to be baptized, he talked it over with his mom and dad, Danielle and Jeremy Hardy.
“That’s wonderful, buddy,” they said. “Do you understand what that means?”
Riggs knew.
“It means I believe that Jesus is my Savior, that He died for my sins and I’m going to have Him in my heart forever,” Riggs said. “I believe it today, and I’ll believe it
my whole life.”
During Sunday school at Southeast’s Oldham Campus, Riggs talked with his best friend, Colin Schaffner, about his decision.
Nine-year-old Colin also had talked with his parents, Nathan and Mandy Schaffner, and close family friend, Scott Long, a former professional football player now
with Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Louisville. Colin understood the commitment and asked to be baptized at the same time as his best friend, Riggs.
It seemed only right since the boys do most everything together.
The two families have a long history.
Riggs and Colin are best friends, but so are their fathers, Jeremy Hardy and Nathan Schaffner. Their late grandfathers, Randy Schaffner and Dale Hardy, also
were best friends.
The three-generation best-friend saga began as both grandfathers were growing up in Louisville. Their friendship endured through high school and continued
into adulthood. When they married, their wives became best friends, too.
The two families went on vacations and celebrated birthdays and holidays together.
Both couples had sons about the same time. Since the families remained close, Nathan Schaffner and Jeremy Hardy became best friends as they grew up.
They even enjoyed wearing identical Superman pajamas.
When the Schaffners moved to Texas for a job, the Hardy family followed within a year.
Living near their best friends played a huge part in the family’s decision to move.
Five years later, the Hardys moved back to Louisville, but the two families continued to travel back and forth to be part of family events such as weddings,
birthdays and anniversaries.
Both Jeremy Hardy and Nathan Schaffner went to college in Kentucky, married their college sweethearts and settled in Oldham County. They live just a block
away from one another.
As might seem likely for these two families, both had sons about the same time.
Danielle Hardy said the two boys are as close as brothers.
“I’ve never seen two boys so close,” she said. “They stay in touch much of the time, check to see how a baseball game went, swim together in the pool, and they often stay over at each other’s houses.”
On May 22, the two boys were baptized together at the Oldham Campus. In the back, before the baptism, they played the game “Rock, Paper, Scissors” to
determine which one would go into the baptistry first. Colin won the game.
Both grandmothers were in the Sanctuary, along with extended family and friends. As the service ended, Colin and Riggs gave each other a high-five.
Colin said that being baptized together means a lot.
“It was really cool,” he said. “It means we both believe in God and that He sent Jesus to die for our sins because He loves us so much.”
Colin would like to play professional basketball when he grows up. Riggs said he wants to be a preacher one day. Both hope to continue the ties between the
two families that have been forged over three generations.
“A lot of it began with the grandfathers,” Danielle said of the strong bond and strong faith that the families share. “They lived their Christian lives out every day.
They were the patriarchs of our families, and we try to continue the things that they taught us.”