Sunday, April 27th was a very special day for our family! Gracie was baptized, Ryan was confirmed, and our little family joined King of Kings!
It was so so special to have Gracie baptized. Most of the baptisms I've been present for have been for infants. I always think it's so touching to be a witness to parents bringing their tiny blessings to the baptismal font. And to be honest, I always assumed I would do the same. However, things didn't unfold that way for Gracie. Being members of a church where baptism is saved for later, we simply dedicated Gracie when she was tiny. But saving her baptism for later turned out to be just as touching as any baptism I've been a part of.
She was very aware through the whole process, even asking Pastor Greene several weeks prior if she could be baptized. Every Sunday on the way to church she would ask if today was the day. When her turn finally came to "join Jesus' family" as she puts it, she was ready! Not timid or shy, but quiet and eager.
It was a difficult situation to parent, to be quite frank. She is an inquisitive child, with more mental capacity than I think any 2 year old should have. And she asks questions, deep questions. When her questions first started, I always said that baptism is when we join Jesus' family. Which is what I believe to be true for infants. However, when you come to faith before you are baptized, I believe baptism to be an act of obedience and simply a strengthening of the gift of eternal salvation you've already received. It was beyond her comprehension to really understand that she was already part of Jesus' family. When I tried to explain that to her, then she couldn't understand why she was getting baptized. It gets pretty confusing to me, so it's no wonder she was confused.
But as I said before, it was a special experience. To put it plainly, I now know exactly what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 18:3 when he says we must "become like little children" to enter the kingdom of heaven. That childlike faith is very evident in Gracie. Which amazes me and melts my heart at the same time. God is good. We are blessed.
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| Do you see those cute little steps next to the baptismal font? |
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| When he asked her, "How are you to be named?" Gracie quietly responded, "Gracie." Then he asked, "Do you desire to be baptized?" Again, she quietly replied, "Yes." |
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| Eager and confident. Her only concern was that he got her hair bow wet! |
Ryan was confirmed later during the service. Our little class of "Non-Lutheran Boys Dragged to Confirmation Class by Girls" all stood together to confirm our faith. So many people at King of Kings are from the church I grew up in, Holy Cross. Everyone was so excited to welcome Ryan into the family and to have me "back home". I kind of felt like the prodigal son, but really, I wasn't out squandering my inheritance y'all! We've been goin' to church, just with those "Gettin' Saved" Baptists!
When we met, I was a member of the LCMS church, but Ryan wasn't, so he couldn't participate in communion. Close Communion, we call it. We can debate the rights and wrongs of that another time, but Ryan always teased me after I'd get back to the church pew. He'd say things like, "Man! You're good! I can't even see you flash your decoding ring when you go up there." He'd ask to learn the secret handshake and beg me to tell him the password. Even recently, as we were finishing our classes, he said, "So Pastor Schultz didn't measure my finger. I hope he's got a good eye for size, I don't want the ring to be too small or something?" He kills me... the things Ryan comes up with seriously kill me. So my mom bought Ryan a special gift for our Biscuits and Gravy Baptism/Confirmation Party... his very own decoder ring!
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| Ryan looks stoked... that threatening look in his eye says, "I'm really wearing this to communion next week!" My face says, "Oh Heavens! He's really going to wear that to communion next week!" Gracie's face says, "Hmmmm?! I think I'll keep that ring in my purse!" |
We took a few pictures after church with Pastor Greene and Gracie's Godparents, Aunt Steph and Aunt B. Most of our family and close friends made it to the service, as well. After church, everyone braved the torrential downpour to enjoy biscuits and gravy at our house! Gracie was spoiled, as usual, and got so many great gifts to encourage her faith and remember her special day.
As the years go by and we look back on her baptismal day, I pray that Gracie continues to mature in her faith and deepen her relationship with our Lord. I pray that Ryan and I stay diligent in the duty God entrusted us with in raising Gracie to be a follower of Christ. And I hope that even when life gets complicated and Satan tries to cloud her vision, that Gracie will hold tight to the hand of God - who has clearly chosen her and blessed her with real, true faith.
