My Baptism

This past Sunday, I was baptized at my church. I came to Christ this past fall, October 17 if you want to be exact, and i felt i was ready to be baptized after hearing a sermon about baptism one Sunday morning. I was very convicted that Baptism was something that God commanded us to do. and so was very excited to tell my parents about my decision. once i got home from service i informed them on what i planned to do the following month and asked them if they wanted to come and support me. my mother was pretty much speechless and my father was quite opposed to say the least. and i cant really say that i didnt expect that, but over time i imagine they must have realized that even if they didnt agree with what i was doing, they still wanted to support me in my decision to be baptized. and i am so grateful for that now. what i am ashamed to admit is that on the morning of my baptism (before i arrived at church) my parents said that they definitely wanted to come and support, and I was the one who wasnt too thrilled about them coming. my reasoning being that they were so opposed to my being baptized at one point, and now they all of a sudden want to be a part of this big day in my life? i was angry and confused. why couldnt they have told me sooner? i had spent hours worrying if this decision would cause a rift between me and my parents forever. and now it seemed like all of those hours could have been spared had they only told me how they truly felt about the situation. so i was upset. i even told them that i wasnt sure if i wanted them there. i left the house in a state of anguish and confusion.

as i walked to church, i began to pray. and then when i arrived at church i talked with someone about how i was feeling. talking through it seemed to clarify my thoughts. when it came down to what i really wanted- i wanted my family there. it would also be a great way to witness to them and give them a chance to hear the gospel, not to mention many other people's testimonies as well. So i called my parents shortly after talking with this person and apologized for how i had made them feel. then i told them that i truly wanted them to come, and that i was so thankful that they loved me and wanted to come. it was a really emotional morning, but it was a wonderful morning too.

it felt great to make a public statement of my faith with my best friends and family all around. and afterward how they said they were proud of me. the only thing i could really reflect on though, was how good the Lord has been to me. i cant even begin to describe the renewed gratitude for the gift of His grace in my life. and also He has blessed me with this morning, i thought. Everything that happened this morning, it was because of God. My baptism is a day in my life that will never be forgotten, and it has inspired me with a stronger desire to grow spiritually.