I often get caught up in what I call my “mom cocoon” where I like to wrap myself up in memories of my children. There are so many wonderful memories to come but there is always that look, touch, smell or event that takes you back to a very specific moment in time. With my son, Tony, being 11 years old now, I find more and more need to remember him as he was as a little man. My favorite times with him were always before bed. We had a schedule since he was born that would include, at night, his bath time and music. Then we would have a very lengthy prayer time. Tony loved to pray for everyone he could think to name. After we prayed he would put his arms around me and would have to do this funny ritual-order of kisses: cheeks, Eskimos, butterflies and more! So when the night came that Tony asked me if he could have Jesus in his heart- it brought such joy and honor to be his mom at that very moment.
To see Tony grow up is hard. Two years ago, when I put his shoes on in the dark when camping and realized we had the same size shoes- that made me cry! When Tony started Middle School this year, I didn’t cry but instead I got mad! His liking Middle School can make me pretty upset too. I should rejoice more over this, but part of me is mourning the loss of my sweet boy.
Merri has been all heart since she was born. I still giggle when I remember her as a tiny baby sleeping in her crib and she would laugh in her sleep!! She was five when she asked for Jesus to be in her life. It too was a joy and honor to be with her as she prayed and was forever changed. Just two years ago we were sitting in the living room watching a movie when Merri just stood up on the couch and shouted, “I just love God! I love Him sooo much- with all of my heart, body and soul!” It was too precious. She sat back down and continued watching the movie. She still likes to just burst out with praise to God and makes sure you know how much she loves Jesus. Its that joy and devotion that I pray we can all obtain daily.
Merri has been asking to be baptized (bapatized as she used to call it) for two years now. She would even “bapatize” herself when we would be swimming. I wanted to truly spend time with both Tony and Merri in discipleship with them and ensuring that they built their faith and were truly certain and passionate about confessing Jesus to the public and following Him in baptism. God really spoke to me about it being time for them to make this step in obedience and that it wasn’t about who could be there to see it or about it being the right timing according to me but that it was about them making that decision. So I made sure they were on the list for the first baptism of the year. They were so excited that they even invited their dad, step mom and grandmother. We prayed for a long time that they would be able to come and they did!
Last night was a night of joy and praise for us as Tony and Merri got baptized for Jesus! They truly understood that it isn’t baptism that saves but that it was a beautiful picture of salvation and obedience. They also experienced the Holy Spirit coming upon them. Not everyone gets that when they are water baptized, but they did. They also were baptized with the Holy Spirit. They couldn’t stop jumping and smiling with joy. Merri even asked, “does everyone get this joy when they are baptized? I just feel so good!” I let her know that was the Holy Spirit inside her and to ask for that every day.
It was explained to me once that water baptism is like taking a cucumber and dipping it in water- it is still a cucumber. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is like when you take the cucumber and make it a pickle. It is emerged in boiling water for just long enough and then soaked in the new solution. The cucumber is now a pickle and can never be a plain ole cucumber again. Tony and Merri will never be the same again- Amen!
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