Washed Down the Drain

She came to me and said  she wanted to be baptized. She had attended churches all her life, been an acolyte as a child and had served in our women's ministry. Yet she could not remember ever being baptized. Now was a good time. She had confronted a long-time sin in her life, one that weakened her marriage and parenting, one that tormented her dreams. The Sunday morning arrived and we stood with her by the baptismal trough, I mean, the baptism well. The truth is our church does not have a formal baptistry so we use a horse trough. Oh, it's not about the beauty of the vessel we use. It's all about the wonders of God's love expressed in our baptism. She sat in the well and I guided her head back and immersed her body in the waters of baptism while saying, "You are baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

She came up out of the water with joy all over her face. The congregation applauded and I heard cheers of Amen and Hallelujah! She was embraced by family and friends and we reminded her that she is a child of God. Afterwards, she told me she hoped that this was the end of her past life. So I took her over to the baptismal trough and told her to look in. All the water had disappeared down the drain. I told her so had her old life. She is now a new creation in Jesus Christ.

Baptism is powerful. It is a public sign of God's grace and work in our lives. We can not earn this. God comes to us with love and restores our life. "We have passed through the waters and that's all that matters. Oh thanks be to God!" (Psalm 43: 1-3a).