A Baptism Story

I grew up in the church and was baptized at age 9. I sincerely believe I understood what my decision meant, even at such a young age, so when I kept feeling a pull toward getting baptized this last year, I was a little confused. Now that I am a bit older and have more life experiences, it makes sense that I understand Christian doctrine and God’s grace more fully. I’ve never questioned my salvation and knew that getting baptized as an adult wouldn’t be a bad decision, but to me, it seemed like I might be minimizing that first moment in my life. There was no escaping the fact that God was putting baptism at the forefront of my mind, so I did the only thing one can do in that type of situation—I emailed Eddie and told him I had lots and lots of questions. I shared my story with him and told him how I had been feeling that pull toward getting baptized lately but I kept finding excuses. My relationship with God has carried me through some dark moments these last few years; I’ve had to work through things that I’d never dealt with and my “be happy and do good” mentality wasn’t working anymore. Through that difficult season, I grew closer to Christ and cultivated a deeper understanding of how desperately in need of Him I am. Eddie told me his own baptism story and explained that making a public declaration would serve as a reminder to me in all seasons of life that I have committed to put my hope in Christ. By the end of our conversation, I knew that God had been placing that desire on my heart for a reason: He knew that I was committed to Him, but He wanted me to take a step of courage in proclaiming that He has remained faithful to me, and likewise, I will remain faithful to Him.

So I went to the water. I answered three questions. And I experienced all the simplicity and intricacy of this outward expression of God’s love that He has called us to display. It was a day that will remain in my heart and mind through the all of the mountains and valleys of life. I told the world twice that I intend to follow Jesus for all of my days. And I’m pretty okay with that.

Guest blogger Robyn Batts works for Market Colors, a nonprofit online store that sells products handmade by African craftsmen. In her free time she enjoys hanging out with cool Summit kids, watching Downton Abbey, and eating too much gelato.