Lead by Example: Baptisms in Our Family
I was terrified of getting baptized in my youth. I had no idea what it truly meant although several of my friends dedicated their lives to Christ during our teenage years. I ran away from the idea of doing such a thing. I know part of my reason was being an observer, and I didn't see a change so I thought that being baptized wasn't going to do anything to change my life. The other part is I have to know and have somewhat of an understanding of why I am making a choice whether it is a good choice or a bad choice I need to be somewhat cognitive.
So how did I end up baptized? Well, I submitted. When I began to know the Father for myself and understanding the Messiah's presence in my life it became clear to me that I no longer had to be afraid of my faith. I was afraid of what it meant to be a true follower. I guess my behavior resembled some of the disciples. I was okay with knowing Him in secret, but wasn't brave enough to wear my faith proudly. In January 2011, I listened and obeyed the still voice on that particular baptism Sunday. It was just the girls and myself at church since my husband worked on Sundays during that season. I picked them up from the children's ministry and left them with my friends. That was a blessing in itself because rarely did I actually see anyone I knew at church because our church was so huge, but God had orchestrated it all.
I was baptized. My life didn't change miraculously as you all probably can relate to or know from your own circumstances. My baptism worked in conjunction with all of the things He was doing in my life. During the Fall of 2011, I joined Community Bible Study, and we studied the Book of John. This is was when I really learned about the Messiah and the importance of baptism. It stuck with me that if Yahshua was baptized then why shouldn't I be. Before then, I had really no knowledge of who He really was outside of the snippets I received from other people. Reading the Book of John after my baptism really did change my life and my family's life. My husband and I were at different stages in our faith. I often shared the new things I learned and encouraged him to read some of the passages that struck me. This was an interesting time for us, and during this time I learned that although my husband and I are one we each have our own missions. I definitely learned a bit more about being patient and having humility.
My daughters have pretty much always been around during my faith journey. I would say they are part of the reason for my being intentional. I wanted us to be able to have real conversations about our faith and not simply gloss over things because I didn't take the time to invest in my faith. They were there during my baptism and they have attended bible study with me each year and even going further in their faith by attending an additional study without me. They have really blessed us as parents. During the summer of 2015, they were baptized. It was a glorious occasion because it was solely their decision. Their decision made an impact on their father so in February of this year he too was baptized.
Tears spring up in my eyes when I think about my husband's baptism because in this area we were similar. Afraid. Unsure. It was really hard for me to accept this because I was programmed to think that men are so strong without doubts. Of course, I know that isn't true, but like I said it was hard for me to accept. I am so grateful to have been able to baptize my husband. It was one of the most special occasions of our marriage.
God is and has always been faithful. He doesn't waste anything. He is patient. He cares for us all more than we could ever know. My husband's baptism was confirmation of all of the awesome things the Most High has been doing in our lives. It has reminded me of my purpose in his life as his wife. I didn't always value myself as a wife. We were so heavily burdened yet he has used our experiences good and bad to draw us closer to Him.
Be blessed,
