The Baptism of Our Daughters

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

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It was almost 5 years ago and a vulnerable time in my life. A time where I allowed a lot of negative thoughts into my head and a time when I needed a lot of grace. Ok I still need a lot of grace, but for sure then. 

James was at school and I was in the kitchen having a rather opinionated conversation with God about the safety and future of our daughters. That’s the kind of relationship God and I have. Hands-on, opinionated until proven otherwise, open, and loud. I heard God audibly say, “Your kids will be fine.” 

In my head I thought "that. was. weird." but an instant peace swept over me and in my heart I knew that it was true. God had made a promise to me that day that our kids would be fine. God didn't make me feel any shame, but I thought of the verses like Jeremiah 29:11, Genesis 50:20, and Romans 8:28. I knew any worrying and any stress this had caused in my relationships was completely in vain. The girls would be fine. 

Over the next few weeks I prayerfully reflected (in a much calmer and more humble way) on the fact that God's definition of "fine" and my definition of "fine" differ. You see the girls may be world-changers at times, and they may be changed-by-the-world at times, but regardless of what happens- they will be fine because they are His. 

Fast forward to today.... Saturday, August 25, 2018... today, was a public declaration of that promise. The girls have professed that Jesus is their Lord and Savior. As Romans 8:38-39 says, “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

These precious girls are His. We were surrounded by our friends and family-in-faith at our neighborhood pool as James baptized our daughters. What a beautiful way to publicly profess faith, having their daddy baptize them to forever walk with their Abba Father. My heart continues to overflow in thinking about today, and the blessings that will continue to grow from here. 

"Gracious God we are so thankful for who you are and who you continually show us who you want us to be....We pray that after this holy act you continue, Lord, forming, shaping, and drawing Addy and Emmy closer and closer to You, forming them more into your image." -Pastor Adam Knight

We are so thankful to all who God has put in our lives. These Daughters-of-The-King asked to have all of their friends jump in the pool after the baptism for a joy-filled morning of swimming and laughing. No need to separate sacred from joyful- these girls and their child-like faith are already tuned in to "on earth as it is in heaven."

"Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?" Acts 8:36