Taking the Plunge

 My daughters chose to be baptized last Sunday. 

I’ve actually been meaning to arrange for them to be baptized for a couple years now. They have shown interest for that long, at least my oldest has. Each of the past two summers have been so busy that I never got around to arranging a time and place. But this year someone else at our church requested to be baptized in the river, and since my girls were interested too, the church made a day of it. After service we all drove up to the gravel bar that would work best for the man who was being baptized (he is wheelchair bound). Maybe my girls were more ready this year than they had been in the past.

I’m still on a spiritual and emotional high from that day. Don’t get me wrong, my wedding day was wonderful and the birth of each my children was absolutely amazing. But the day that my girls decided to publicly announce that they were dedicating their lives to Jesus…well, there are no words! This is what my mama heart has always longed for and strove towards. 

Before the baptisms took place, we sang pieces of a few familiar hymns. One was “How Great Thou Art”. And as we sang I was instantly transported back to my oldest daughter’s first bedroom. We had replaced the floor in it before she was born, but couldn’t afford flooring to cover the squeaky plywood. I remembered swaying her side to side, side to side, squeak, squeak, squeak…desperately trying to get her to sleep (she was a fussy baby) and singing her that song. Her little body against me, my hand on the back of her soft head, and my tired, sometimes frustrated, off key voice. Me thinking that if I couldn’t get her to sleep, I could at least remind both of us how great God was. That song and “Come Thou Fount” were our go-tos. 

So if you imagined that I cried like a baby as we sang that song on Sunday, you would be right. I am so thankful for these girls and the paths they have chosen. I pray that they will always choose to walk with Jesus. 

I wanted to share my story with you today because I wanted to encourage you to keep pointing your children to their Creator. We mamas have a powerful influence over their sweet little hearts. I believe that even the prayers and songs we utter into their infant ears make a difference for eternity.

And if your child is not walking in the truth, I just want to encourage you to never give up on them. They may have walked away from God’s plan for their life, but they can always turn back at any time. You keep praying over and encouraging and loving on them, mama! 

Much love, 

Lee

P.S. I just love these pictures of the girls hugging their daddy after he baptized them, I just had to share.