Best Decision of My Life

March 29, 2009

It was a rainy, chilly day. Not a day I would have thought I would have made such a meaningful, important and life changing decision.

I had been struggling with the decision to get baptized for quite some time, probably even years. I have always believed in God, sure I had my little doubts in high school...but over all I always knew he was there. I have always talked to him, I have always felt his presence in my life, and have always known he was watching out for me.

After I gave birth to Case, I became overwhelmed with the love you have for a child. Everyone always tells you it is indescribable, and that you will be blown away by the actual depth of love you will have for them, and all I can say is that they are right. I was in awe of the entire process. How amazing that a child, beginning as a few tiny cells can develop into a fully functioning beautiful boy or girl, all in a course of 40 short weeks. I was truly in awe of our baby boy. Of course because he was breathtakingly gorgeous and perfect...but even more because God already knew him, and formed him safe inside of my belly. He created and formed his eyes, his eye brows, his lips, his cheeks, his organs, his lungs, his fingers, his toes...isn't is just amazing when you really think about the process? It is a miracle! A miracle that a mother gets the pleasure to live first hand, an experience that allows her to feel her baby rolling, turning, twisting and kicking. Pregnancy definitely has it's ups and downs, what with the hormones, the heartburn, the aches the pains, the swelling of feet... but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the entire world.

Where was I? I always get distracted talking about my baby :) Well, after our Case came into the world it all hit me. God's love just flooded over me, and I started talking to Matt about getting baptized again. He was baptized in college, and I would always ask him how I would know when it was right...and he would always say "You'll just know, you'll feel it in your heart." Honestly, I always felt like I had to pass a test, read the whole bible, memorize the popular versus, be completely sin free for at least a month...well as I soon found out that was all nonsense. God doesn't care about any of that stuff, and no one is perfect. Not one single person who has ever lived on this earth has been perfect except for his son Jesus. We all mess up, and the only thing that you need to know to get baptized is that you love God, his son Jesus, and that you believe that he sent his son to die for your sins.

We have been attending Southern Acres Christian Church for about 6 months, and fell in love with it. We began a small group at the lead pastors house for a 10 week video series, and a lot of things kind of fell in place for me there...there were a few videos that explained that Christian's aren't perfect, and that you do not have to be perfect to be one. (That took a lot of pressure off :)) A lot of things laid heavy on my heart in that series, and I started to see my relationship with God change for the better, I could literally almost feel my heart opening and letting him in. Well, we were leading up to the Easter service and Cameron the lead pastor led an amazing sermon, focusing on the decision to let Jesus lead your life. It hit me hard, my heart started pounding, I started to cry...and I knew. I knew that this was the day I was going to hand my life over to God. I knew, just like my husband had told me I would. :) We walked right past the communion set up that day and right into Doug Piatt's welcoming arms. I later found out that Matt and Doug had a few conversations about me...they had been praying for me and waiting patiently for me to make my decision. Well, of course this caused for a whole new stream of water works. My sweet loving husband had been praying for me. :)

So, after church I said in front of my husband and some of my family that were there that day, that I believed that Jesus Christ died for my sins...and I was baptized. Ever since that day I have had such peace in my heart, and I'm so thankful. I have now truly experienced God's love, and it just keeps getting better.