Baptized - Entering the Water to Walk on the Path

Erin came to us this summer and said that she had been thinking of getting baptized. She acknowledged her infant baptism but said she wanted to make her own public confession of faith and in addition, she felt God was calling her to come forward in baptism.

Each year our church has a Baptism Celebration ~ the entire church is invited to gather at our pond, celebrate both dedications and baptisms and enjoy dinner together.

Kevin asked Erin if she wanted us to walk into the water with her. I could tell she was considering how to answer him. Finally she said because she felt she was being called to be baptized, and because it was her decision to be obedient, she felt she was to enter the water solo.

What a great moment. We've walked this road of faith as a family in the hopes, and with the intention, that each of our kids will at some point reach out on their own and grab the hand of Jesus.

Here is the thing, our kids are going to let go of our hands. They are going to walk in their own direction. If they have made a decision to follow Jesus, then its easier to let them go. She's 13, I'm still holding her hand. . .and she has a grip on the one who really holds her all the way through this life. This feels encouraging as a mom. I cannot always be with her, she won't always want to listen to me, I don't always know what she's up against, and I don't always have the right words, attitude, or timing. He does.

(Picture by Chad Orlikowski)

Our local paper published an article on Baptism and they ended their article with some quotes from Erin. You can read the article, Tradition Reborn, here.