Baptisms Gift


"Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" (Acts 8:36b)

Incredibly this is what my son said to me at this river (Well different words but same drift)! And you know what? I almost missed it! When he asked me my first inclination was to laugh it off...really I almost did. Thank God he opened my eyes to see that Joshua was VERY sincere.

So I explained to him that this was a symbol of his old self being buried and he was being lifted up as his new self in Christ. (Joshua had accepted Christ with his mom a couple of years ago.) Also, that this could be a REALLY cool moment between us but he would need to be publicly baptized at some point at a CalvarySLO baptism.

I asked him if he understood all of this and he said he did. So, right where I'm standing in that picture I crossed his arms, plugged his nose, and baptized him in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then he went on playing in the water...and I was left in complete astonishment before my heavenly Father. I'm still in shock!

When we got back home from that campout one of the first things Joshua did was to recite almost word for word the definition of baptism I game him to my wife, his mom. Linda and I looked at each other with tears welling up in our eyes...and I almost missed it!

3 comments:

Hey Jen N.
Yeah it was pretty gnarly...like I said I almost missed it. Here's to being awake and alert enough to not miss being able to live moments like this!


Yep - Got me crying.. Your boys are amazing, and your wife is such a beautiful woman of the Lord. May God continue to bless you two, and the ministry of parenting God has set before you.
Thanks for your help today at work - you're a star. -Erica


awesome Patrick. He has indeed revealed the profoundly complex (salvation) so that the child can wholeheartedly receive it!
Love ya


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