Getting Her Hair Wet on Sunday

Just got back from "the meeting with the Pastor."

I guess there are many reasons for those meetings...I've met with him twice since he came to our church a couple of years ago. This one involved my wife, myself...and yes, little one. She's decided that she is ready to be baptized. She has already "invited Jesus into her heart" about two years ago so, I already know I'm seeing her in Heaven.

I wondered when she would stoke up the courage to go ahead and get baptized, or dunked in the water in front of the church. For some kids...it seems they can't wait to get up there in front of people. For her...she's had some significant anxiety. Part of it is the "getting up in front of people" but that can't be everything given her ability to stand on the stage by herself and sing a song.

I think it came out one evening when she was talking to me about it. She brought it up...I never did. I wanted it to be ALL her decision. As the talk wound along, she started to ask more questions; specifically:

"What if God doesn't really exist?"

"What if someone just wrote the bible to tell people there was a God, but they were just trying to make people feel good?"

"What if they made up Jesus?"

"What's my purpose?" (not kidding)


Whoa kiddo. I haven't quite figured out those answers for myself. Let's go back to you asking if you can have a kitty.

I wish I could say I cleared it all up for her. As I recall, I said something like: "Daddy had...and HAS those same questions sometimes. I've decided to have faith that God and Jesus exist. And, you're already accomplishing your purpose right now...to be Daddy's girl. You'll find more purposes later."

Then she was off that track and wanted a drink of water.

The whole baptism thing...It's a big moment...a spiritual marker.

I was older (13) when I got dunked. I remember thinking that at that moment, I was totally pure for the first time ever. If that was true, I reasoned...then I better not ever sin again or...what a waste of a "washing." (Of course right after I came up out of the water I tried to see if I could think of anything bad...just to see if I was really "clean.") Lo and behold...I could still sin. Da...I mean darn. I didn't really understand the concept of it being a SYMBOL not a salvation moment.

Since it is such a big moment for her I'll try to make that day a really big one...

thinking of going all the way to Lubbock to eat at Joe's Crab Shack (her favorite place).

I want her to remember the day she asked Christ into her heart...

and then the day she was "buried with Christ in baptism, and raised to a new life in Him."

You'll still sin Little One...and I'll still notice them, and fret over them. But the coolest of cool things is:

He won't.

(Oh, and yes, now you can eat the bread when they pass the plate for the Lord's Supper.)