I have to share this sweet story with y'all. This past weekend my daughter was Baptized. It was a very special moment for our family.
It was last summer that she asked my husband and I to pray with her, so that she could take Jesus in her heart. We prayed that simple prayer with her. She then proceeded a year long discussion about being Baptized. As her parents we were not sure what to do, it was our belief that she was too young to get Baptized.
The Holy Spirit had other plans. He continued to stir her heart. She continued to talk about it, and she continued to ask questions and insist on being Baptized. She attends a private Christian school, and during a chapel, she accepted the altar call. She took that opportunity to tell the Administrator that she wanted to get Baptized. Because I work at the school, the Administrator then asked to speak to me. The Administrator reminded me, that Jesus said," let the Children come to me," and to consider her child like faith, and not to be a hindrance. In the end, my husband and I decided we would move forward.
In our church, she had to attend a Children's new Christian class before she could proceed with Baptism. My husband volunteered to be her partner in the class. He attended every class with her. On a side note, this was a really cool and really special thing, and I am so honored to be married to a man who is committed to his daughter this way. They told me about the class, and they had a wonderful time. My husband was amazed at how much she already knew. She just amazed us.
By her lead, we let her pick the date of her Baptism. She decided, she would wait until the weekend after her 6th birthday, that just happened to be Father's Day weekend. Father's day has come and gone, and she is now Baptized. She practiced her testimony all week. She stood under the lights and in front of the congregation and exhibited 1 John 4:18:
Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear.
She struggled a little reading it, but she made it through with such courage. I imagine that Jesus and the heavens rejoiced as she made her proclamation that ,"Jesus Christ is Lord."
The love of the Lord then materialized. I have never been in a church that "LOVES OUT" the way our church does. The members of the body reached out to our little family. We had so many encourage our daughter and congratulate her. There were hugs and well wishes all day long. The Lord poured out his love on my daughter through the Holy Spirit, and he took it a step further by giving us a real life out pouring of love.
This was a proud moment for our family. This is a moment that I will remember forever. I have a deep love for my daughter, one that drives me to make decisions based on what is best for her first. This love that I have for her, my only child, is the same type of love that God has for each of His children.
God desires each of us to know this great love. He desires all of us to have the comfort and safety of parents who adore us. I know that there are many who don't have this kind of family. There are many who feel alone, scared, and wonder what love feels like. The truth is, in the absence of a family filled with love, there is a heavenly father who longs to show you great love. While you may wish for it to be different, I challenge you to let him show you great love through the body of His church. He will meet your needs, when you ALLOW him in and let him be in control.
Take a journey with him, and in the meantime take this encouragement:
"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3: 17b-19
This is my mindset, now let me hear yours!
***Just a note to say I wrote this back in June.
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