Masons Baptism

Masons Baptism

I remember when I was a little girl, at the age of 7, along with my cousin Joya and several other church friends the morning I was baptized.  I wore a white dress with a lace along the hem, sleeves and collar.  I stepped into the baptismal pool where my dad reached out his hand to welcome me, not just into the water but to the larger family of God!  I had asked the Lord into my heart when I was 5 during a Sunday Morning service but now I was ready to make a public display in front of my family and peers.  I love the words of a pastor who said, “our relationship with the Lord begins personally but it cant stay private”  That’s how I remember feeling.  I remember knowing that God loved me and had called me to let others know about his love too.  I was fortunate to have my dad as my children’s pastor as a child and love that he was there at my birth and also the one who was able to lead me in really making my relationship with God personal. 

Now that I have children of my own I see that my greatest desire for them is to know Christ on a personal level.  To know that apart from him they are nothing. I get to be their mom but only God can be the one who is with them every moment of every day, every tough decision, happy experience and hurtful state.  I wish I could be with them and help them always navigate this life they lead but I know that its not my job to Save them, God has already done that, I just get to help guide and nurture them along their journey as God writes their story in HIS big story.

The children’s ministry at our church desires children to wait until 3^rd grade to get baptized.  Throughout this year several of Masons friends were baptized and when he discovered the news that his friend from Life Group, Hutton Mudrey, was getting baptized he asked if his whole Life Group could go in to watch. 

Mason wanted to get baptized earlier this year but Chris and I were out of town so we asked him to wait. 

This summer Chris decided that in light of Masons questions about other faiths and other religions that arose from him having school mates that are from other countries, Hindu, Muslim, and catholic that this would be a great time to start with Mason on the foundations of what we believe as Christians.   They began reading and dialoguing through Lee Stroble’s kids series “The Case for Faith for Kids” and “The Case for Christ for Kids”  God has been pursuing Mason, and Mason is understanding why he believes what he believes. I am so thankful that God has allowed Chris to understand, early on, that anyone can write a report and attend a meeting for work, but only Chris can be the father for our three boys and what an amazing, kind, gentle, selfless, servant they have been blessed to call, “Dad”

3 weeks ago we heard the news that another baptism Sunday would be offered on July12, 2016 and Mason was thrilled that finally he would be able to participate in this public display of his decision to follow Christ.  Cool thing too…they are partnering the baptisim Sunday with a huge family celebration so there will be food trucks, waterslides and free pelicans snow balls too! 

He has been SO SO excited.  He keeps asking questions and after three days of him asking if maybe he could invite some people to attend the baptisim I sat down and finally said, “sure buddy who do you wanna invite” I honestly expected his list to include grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins I was surprised as he began going through his list that included school friends, his teachers and his principle too!!  

Oh Lord, I am sorry for keeping my personal relationship with you private.  I love that the spirit of boldness is so alive and active in Mason that he wants everyone to know he is a Christian!

Last night Mason was reviewing a bible verse he was asked to memorize before a baptism prep class we are going to tonight. Initially, he didn’t want to memorize the scripture or understand why he needed to go to the class because he already knows that baptism is a public display of your inward decision to follow Christ (he has never really liked busy work) but then he said, “well, I guess they just wanna make sure kids aren’t like, ‘so n so got baptized, they’re cool I wanna do it too”…so then we broke down the verse together.

“If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that he was raised from the dead, you will be saved.  Romans 10:9

The verse he was asked to memorize doesn’t say that in order to be saved you have to complete a check list of religious dos and don’ts.  “so if I don’t have the verse memorized they will still let me get baptized?”  OF COURSE, but a good way to share your story and know who Christ is personally is by reading and understanding scriptures…

The verse begins with stating fact, confessing that Jesus is Lord…Mason was ready to do that at age 4 when he dropped to his knees and raised his hands saying he wanted to ask Jesus in his heart.  But, there’s so much more to having a relationship with Jesus than simply knowing he is Lord.

I was helping Mason to see that its similar to chocolate cake with chocolate icing- he’s tasted it, we can look up pictures of cake and even find a recipe and do our best to explain how the cake tastes but the best way for anyone to understand chocolate cake is for them to experience it on their own, that chocolate cake does indeed taste good. 

That’s where the second part of the verse comes into play- “believe in your heart, that he was raised from the dead”  we discussed times of life that can get tricky and emotional where he would maybe wanna question where God was…”God why didn’t I make the middle school football team or the basketball team, why didn’t they wanna pick me to be on their team for kick ball at recess, why is this subject in school so hard, even when I study…” could lead to you feeling like your relationship with God is dead…but that’s why its important to know that NO MATTER WHAT Jesus is ALWAYS Lord!! I believe in my heart that He was raised from the dead and if he can be raised from the dead then surly my dark situation that didn’t go the way I hoped can be seen in the bigger picture of life.

AND…the promise is…

YOU WILL BE SAVED. 

Mason agreed Its not about us and what other religions say you need to do to reach God or be good enough so you wont come back like an animal in another life! NO!  Christianity is the only religion where God actually comes down to meet with us in person and desires for us to abide with and in Him now as we carry out our life and for all of eternity.

He said last night that he remembers asking Jesus in his heart when he was 4 but when he turned 8 everything started to make since for his life and he used to just memorize scriptures to get awards in AWANA but now that he is “9 and 7/12ths years old“ he knows what they mean and he recognizes that he is different then other kids, that he wants to be their friend but he can tell some of them haven't been introduced to Jesus...

 Our conversation was amazing... there is nothing like having an opportunity to walk along side your child and help them realize that the reason they are who they are and the reason they respond the way they respond is because the Holy Spirit is in them and they have fruit and they have a plan in Gods story. 

Lord, please continue to pursue Mason, chase after him.  You Lord, not me, are doing a great work in his life, continue to give him boldness to share your love with his friends.   Continue to use me to nurture and guide and point out your spirit inside of him.