Yeah yeah, Rockies lost again....whatever...
On to more important stuff. Many of you who read this know me personally. Some don't. For those that don't, I'm fairly big guy by normal standards. I'm about 6'2" tall 270ish pounds. Small for an athlete, but fairly big for an average Joe. Many times people equate size with toughness. I don't know how many times I've heard people say, I wouldn't mess with him, look how big he is. Truth is...I'm probably the only person you'll ever meet that got in trouble at school for NOT fighting (it's true). I got in trouble for fighting also, but I did get a stern talking to from a principle for not standing up for myself.
Anyway, something else that you might not expect is that many times I'll cry at the drop of a hat. Sometimes, if I'm talking about something that is important to me, tears will just start. It's embarrassing sometimes, but I can't help it.
Baptism is one of those things that makes me cry. I've mentioned before that I went through a really tough time about 11-12 years ago. It was during that time that a counselor helped me make the connection between my spirituality and my life. It sounds funny to say that now, but there really wasn't much connection before that. I was compartmentalized. Spirituality was a slice in my life. Finally, somebody said to me if your life is a pie, spirituality isn't a slice, it's the crust. I guess if you are going to get through to me, an analogy involving food is the way to do it.
Once I went through that time in my life, and I really made the connection, baptisms have always made me cry. Yesterday, I had the distinct pleasure of baptizing my nephew Paden Robertson. I was telling my boss that I needed to leave early so that I could baptize my nephew. Yeah, you guessed it...when I was telling him I felt the tears come. I held them back, but it was close.
Baptizing a child is one of those things that makes people uncomfortable. Chris was baptized when he was 9. He had been talking about it for a while, I kept putting it off because I wasn't sure he was 'ready'. Sarah has been talking about it, is she 'ready'? does she understand? that always seems to be the concern.
When I look at my own experience, I was baptized at church camp when I was about 11, because everybody else was. At 16, I realized that I had done it for the wrong reason, so I was baptized again 'to be sure I had done it right'. Well, I look back now, I certainly didn't have the understanding then that I have now. So was I 'ready' at 16?
As I struggle with this, I think about Phillip talking to the Ethiopian in Acts 8. He was obviously a spiritual guy already, but he didn't know Jesus. Phillip talks to him as they are driving down the road. We have no idea how long they talked, but it seems to me that he went from 'not ready' to 'ready' in the course of a single conversation. How much do you need to now before you are ready?
Jesus is the one...He's the Good News from God. Do you believe that? As far as I can tell....you are ready.
3 comments:
The lead singer guy from Third Day talked about his daughter's baptism at the concert in Memphis a couple of years ago.
His daughter was six and he thought she didn't know enough - but then he asked do we ever know enough? You don't have to be a certain age to believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he died so we could be able to live in Heaven! We all start learning after that point.
I'm not surprised by what you say about yourself, Donnie. Those of us who are around you know you have a big heart.
And, I think you're right on with this post. I'm still being "converted", it's a life-long process.
For the record, I was also baptized at age 11 at camp. I joined the throngs on the seventh or eighth verse of Just As I Am!
Mostly I was scared to death of hell. We sure talked alot about hell. I'm glad to finally be learning about heaven.
I went through the re-baptism thing too. I was baptized at 9. In retrospect had I been taught that baptism was part of our conversion/transformation I would have realized I didn't have to do it again. I had professed my faith...God does the rest.
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