Dads and Daughters
After our Good Friday service Emma Grace and I were in the car together on our way to meet Kelly and the rest of her family. As we were driving, Emma Grace told me that during the Lord’s Supper she felt like God was telling her to get baptized on Sunday. In a way, it didn’t surprise me that much, she has always had a tender heart and wanted to obey the Lord. Kelly and I both tried very hard not to push baptism because we wanted her to be able to look back on her baptism and know for certain she had heard from God, and not think that she did it because her dad was the pastor, or because everyone else got baptized, or because you’re supposed to be baptized.
My first thought when she told me was that it was just 2 days away and that most of her family that love her so much wouldn’t be able to be there. I mentioned that to her and she said she’d thought about that, but thought she still wanted to do it Sunday. I told her to pray about it over the night and in the morning, we could decide. The first thing the next day, she came in our room and said she was sure God was telling her to be baptized on Sunday morning. Her only other concern was that she went through the process everyone else goes through, and that she not do anything others don’t do (she’s a rule follower). She also wanted to know if I would do the baptism.
Emma Grace wrote a little note she wanted to read to the church which I thought I’d share here:
In Ecclesiastes 3:11 it says “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” Everything that happens is all part of God’s beautiful plan for us. I really love this verse because God has shown me His beauty in so many ways through love. I can see the love God has for me and for all of us. God has let me feel His great love when He talks to me and through the people he has purposefully placed in my life and the things He has done for me. God is good and He does everything for our good. I continuously remind myself that God loves me and does what He does for my good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called according to His purpose.” I am being baptized because I want everyone to know I have been called according to God’s purpose and I want to live my life for God’s glory. God has told me this is the next step in my walk with Christ and I want to be obedient to Him.
I guess there isn’t much in the whole world more special than being part of a moment like Baptizing your little girl. It’s wonderful to watch your child grow to where she can hear the voice of God and have a heart that desires to obey Him. It’s funny that as a dad I didn’t have much to do with it. Kelly and I have kind of watched and guided her and but God has and is the one doing the work in her. As I baptized her I thought of God’s words to those who watched Jesus be baptized, “This is My Son, with whom I am well pleased.” I understand those words so well and feel so blessed to have the privilege of being Emma Grace’s dad and pastor. Thank God for His many blessings.
