This past Sunday, Katie was baptized at our church.  She was excited to finally get to participate since she had made a decision for Christ a while ago. 

Her cousin and friend from church were also baptized and so there were 3 giggling little girls back in the changing rooms getting ready. I had conflicting emotions. 

One, that being so young she doesn’t understand the milestone that she was about to reach in a few moments. I mean, being baptized is serious business right? Then how come there are giggles and jumping around and nervous energy abounding?

Because the girls and their mommas were filled with JOY.  It’s my belief that baptism alone does not establish your relationship with Christ.  It’s a proclamation (a shout out to your peeps) that you know you were destined to spend eternity in hell but instead were rescued and restored by Jesus Christ.  All you had to do (all my little girl had to do) was ask.  She asked and He said “ABSOLUTELY”.  So being baptized is her way of saying “I love Jesus and He loves me”.  Katie’s baptism was a declaration of her new relationship.

Those were my first thoughts.

Watching her giddy and smiling, putting on her white top, oblivious to the congregation getting ready to watch her come out, my mind flashed forward.  It may be 16 years from now, it might be 30.  But, Lord willing, I will be there when we are hiding out in the changing rooms, giddy with excitement and putting on white. Katie and I both filled with joy as she steps forward to declare a new relationship once again. I prayed fervently then, that I would be there for her and that God would bless her with a husband and family to call her own.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
–Matthew 3:16-17