The day our kids were baptized

 

August 1, 2022 

A day we will never forget.

Tony baptized four of our kids in Lake Tahoe. 

There aren’t adequate words to describe this day.

It was intimate and beautiful and full of the Holy Spirit. There were so many God-moments I pray are etched on our hearts and minds forever from today. 

“I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.” 3 John 1:4

Each of them have fully committed their hearts and lives to Jesus at different times. For years we’ve talked about them getting baptized. We’ve talked extensively about it and wanted it to be a day that they would remember forever. There’s been other opportunities to get baptized at different churches but I think all of us wanted it to be a smaller and more intimate time that was set aside for them. A holy moment that they could have with their Creator. 

It’s kind of like someone’s wedding day. They can plan a huge event with a big crowd and celebration or they can plan a quiet elopement on a mountain with just a handful of people. There’s not a wrong way, as long as you know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it and can fully be in that moment before God. 

So for our four, they all wanted just us as a family, away from the crowds and distractions so that they could be fully present in that moment. And they all wanted their Papa to be the one to baptize them. 

So we set out for Lake Tahoe, praying for the Lord to be present the whole day. It was funny because, in all the years we’ve gone to Tahoe, we’ve never seen what we saw that day. The beach we normally go to was covered in toxic algae with warnings not to swim there. 

But we were DETERMINED that August 1st was THE DAY so we prayed for direction and drove to another spot of the Lake. When we arrived it was so overly packed with visitors (which was weird on a Monday morning) that we were turned away. Again, being determined, we just kept trusting that God was completely directing our steps to the perfect location that He already planned for us to find. 

And then we found it. THE SPOT. It was perfect. The water was clear and beautiful and the setting was absolutely incredible with sand and mountains and trees all surrounding us. 

We prayed. Uly dropped to his knees. We asked for God’s presence and blessing and then one by one, Moriyah then Scarlett then Maximus and then Ulysses all walked to meet their Papa in the water to be baptized while we all cried the best kinda cry you can cry. Like the feel it in your guts kinda cry. It was beautiful and holy and breathtaking and overwhelming and we just knew that God was right there in that moment with our babies as they demonstrated their faith and belief in Jesus. That day will stay with me in my heart and mind forever. 

Ulysses went very last because he has a rare response to cold water since last summer. His body quickly gets covered in welts everywhere, swelling, itching and has difficulty in breathing. He loves the water though and I fully believe that God will heal him of it. But that day, he took his inhaler before getting in the water, was baptized and then his body started reacting faster than normal to the cold water.  He started to panic with intense itching and anxiety. Tony grabbed his hands and very calmly started praying. Instantly the swelling and itching stopped and peace washed over him. We all kinda were surprised with how fast everything happened. So Tony looked at me and said, “would you pray for me and Scarlett?” And so we prayed and afterwards Tony experienced two answers to prayer that we weren’t even asking for. We were in awe. The presence of the Lord was felt so deeply on that beach. 

For so many reasons, Tony and I felt so beautifully overwhelmed that day. Not many years ago we couldn’t have even imagined this day. We are living in real life miracles. Impossible prayers answered. Lives changed. Gratitude that could never be fully articulated because there have just been too many things that had to happen for us to be where we are today. 

Later that day Tony and Moriyah were talking and she was explaining why she wanted him to be the one to baptize her… she said, “the one who disciples you should be the one who baptizes you”… I love that. What a beautiful gift. 

That day was perfect. So anointed and blessed by the Lord. It was exactly what we prayed for. 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” 1 Peter 3:21

Watch the video here:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgvZGQcDNfi/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Nothing in this life is more important than knowing Jesus. So getting the honor and blessing of being witness to God moving in the hearts and lives of my children can’t be compared to anything else. 

You can read Moriyah’s version of the day written so beautifully here:

https://fablerosemc.blogspot.com/2022/08/august-1st-2022-getting-baptized.html?m=1

Xoxo

Abbi