Baptism

Sunday, November 25th, 2012

I grew up in a traditional church where my parents taught me the importance of a church family and being involved in the church. I learned about God, but didn’t always feel like I really understood things.

Throughout grade school, I was a shy girl with few friends, was teased a lot. I was constantly afraid of failing and just being rejected by others. So I aimed for perfection in everything – sports and school work. I lived on the praises of others. But it was never enough. There was always something missing and I often felt lonely unless I was lost in one of my books since I loved to read.

During my senior year of high school, I was dating a guy named Josh. He made me think about my faith and what it was that I believed.

• One night, he asked me, “If you died today, how certain would you be of going to heaven?”
• I said, “I’m pretty sure.”
• He asked another question, “What would you say to God if He asked why you deserved to go to heaven?”
• My response was, “I’m a good person. I’ve done a lot of good things. And I’ve never done anything really bad or killed anyone.”
• He replied, “What about the cross?”
• I was confused.  “What do you mean?”
• “I mean, do you believe Jesus died on the cross for us?”
• I knew that Jesus died on the cross since that's what we talk about at Easter. I said, “Yeah, sure I believe that.” But I didn’t really understand the significance of the cross until later.

Fast forward to college – I was invited to a Campus Christian Fellowship meeting and since I was single, I decided to go because I might meet a cute Christian guy there.  Well, I started going to the CCF meetings and visiting different churches. I was learning a lot and making new friends, but my life still revolved around me being in control of situations and being a perfectionist.

During the summer after my freshman year of college, all the things I had been learning finally came together. I finally understood the significance of the cross. It was no longer just a symbol of Christianity. I had been so caught up in myself and what others thought of me that I hadn’t realized that I was a sinner just like everyone else. I was a sinner who needed Jesus to die on the cross to pay MY penalty for the sins I had committed. He died for me so that I could one day be reunited with God in heaven. 

There’s nothing I could do on my own. Here’s a verse I’d like to share that really sums it up:

 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9) 

It’s all about Jesus and what He did on the cross.

After that breakthrough, I began giving more control to God in situations and stopped aiming for perfection that I wasn’t going to achieve on my own anyway. I realized that I have a bigger purpose in life and that is to serve God and glorify Him in all that I do.

Today, I wish to be baptized as a symbol of what I believe and to hopefully be an inspiration to others.