This past Sunday, my three sons were baptized. Not at all
J3s decision, although when asked he did answer, “Yeah.” And I am fairly
certain that J1 only agreed to it because J2 was going to have it done.
What started this event occurred Christmas Eve 2015. I
stood up, leaving my sons with my parents and proceeded to partake in
communion. The fact that J2 was left out of something, obviously important to a
large portion of the church, deeply upset him. This, I was already prepared for.
I used this opportunity to discuss baptism with my son.
It went something like this:
Me: Sweetie, it is not
right to take communion without being baptized.
J2: I’m a big boy, I
want to be baptized.
Me: Sweetie, choosing to
be baptized is a big decision. It means that you understand that Jesus loves
you and choosing to love Jesus. It means that you are going to try to be a good
person and walk the path Jesus would have you walk.
J2: I’m a good boy. I
love Jesus. Jesus loves me. Also, He made the worms.
Me: Okay, well, let me
talk to Daddy about it.
And I did. We waited a
couple of weeks to see what would happen. Then one morning as we were getting
ready for church, J1 and J2 come in. J2 asks if they can be baptized. J1 simply
nods his consent to wanting an answer to the question. Once again I explain
that it is a big decision and that they need to be sure. J2
was jumping up and down as if my answer had been yes and he was ecstatic. I did
the next thing I could think of. I made an appointment for our family to talk to
our pastors. The resulting decision was that all three of our boys would be
baptized together. The baptism was still weeks out and without fail, every
Sunday, J1 or J2 would eventually ask if today was the day.
It
is important to raise our children with the beliefs that we want to pass down.
For me it is that following Christ is a decision that impacts our lives so
heavily that the decision is not to be made lightly. At the time, I was just so
relieved that things went as smoothly as they did. Now, I can reflect on the
idea that every year we can celebrate their adoption into an endless family of
brothers and sisters.
Heaven Father, guide those parents that have
chosen to raise their children with you as their Lord. Strengthen these parents
with patience, love, understanding and acceptance. Guide the children who have
been and will be baptized to grow up seeking you and spreading the Word of Your
Greatness. Show them how their lives are a testament to You and that they have
a personal story to use and share with others.
