There is one day that has more impact on me than any other in our church. Baptism day is bursting with hope and resurrection joy! Just watching it happen brings tears every time. Growing up Catholic, I was baptized as an infant, and for a very long time I thought that was good enough. But one day while watching the sacrament of baptism happen on stage, as an adult, I got wrecked. It struck me in that moment just how much Jesus did on my behalf to allow me the opportunity to begin again. Each person that dunked under that water represented a story of a life restored by the power of the gospel.
For the first time in my life I got it and felt convicted to make a public declaration of my faith the next chance I got.
In the summer, our baptisms take place outside in a small man-made lake on the church campus. Being the nature lover that I am, this seemed like the best fit for me. When I mentioned my desire to be baptized to my husband, Kevin, I was delightfully surprised to hear that he was wanting to go into the water with me. We took the necessary steps to sign up and prepare for the big day, and just a few months before it happened we got another awesome gift. As we drove across the country on a road trip, my 12-year-old son, Jeremy spoke up from the back of the van out of the blue; “How old do you have to be to be baptized?” he inquired.
“12, why?” I responded.
“I think I want to be baptized in the lake,” he said. This came as a shock and a blessing. At that particular time, I didn’t think he was walking very closely with the Lord, but he made that choice completely on his own, and I was assured that the Lord was moving in his heart.
June 27, 2010 is a day that I will never forget. This ceremonial cleansing was far more than ritual and symbolism; it has made a significant impact on my life. Prior to this day, I was studying the Bible, meeting with fellow believers and a spiritual director to try to get my act cleaned up. I was checking the boxes and doing the work to be a good Christian, but I still found myself snapping at my kids, using a sarcastic tone, and falling short in countless other ways.
I can honestly say that there has been an accelerated movement of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power at work in my life since that day. I feel a supernatural guidance that I had never known before that is at work in my heart. I am extremely grateful!
With my husband, I also always had this feeling that he was not that into the faith. I felt like we were on totally different pages or books altogether. I stood in judgment that he was not making his Bible reading/study a priority and that his life was not reflective of the Life. I had a perpetual feeling of tension between us, and it was a source of frustration and concern.
The more I tried to call him to grow in faith, the more he resisted and basically told me to mind my own business (in a very loving way.) What happened that afternoon in the lake was absolutely precious. We went into the water together, and as we popped out and made eye contact, his first words were straight from the One who makes all things new. “I guess we’re on the same page now,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. He was absolutely right!
“And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.” Acts 22:16
Jean Masukevich is a special education and yoga teacher. She holds an advanced certificate in grief and trauma from the Allender Center of Psychology and Theology and is passionate about facilitating healing spaces for individuals and groups in need of care. Her therapeutic approach incorporates yoga, meditation, art and the use of narratives to help people integrate mind, body and Spirit. Jean loves to play outside and enjoys quality time with her husband and four awesome children. You can find her here: www.sowthat.com
Thank you Jean for this post! It so brought me back to my own baptism day and it was holy and transformational for me as well! I resonated with you also about policing your husband and his faith. I have been guilty of this with my husband in the past and what a beautiful reminder for me to today that it is God and his supernatural power that does all the work!
Beautiful Ms. Jean!! Baptism is my favorite too. I realized how deeply impactful it was for me when I was in a foreign country, where the language was different AND I did not even remotely know who was getting baptized. With a huge lump in my throat and tears strolling down my cheeks, I celebrated the beauty of what it stands for….another life proclaiming ‘I have decided to follow Jesus- and I’m sealing it publicly!’
Beautiful the way God crafted your baptism to be a family affair, for you and your husband and son to all share in such a deeply meaningful event in the life of a believer. I loved your husband’s response as he came out of the water and looked at you. It was so very sweet, and the answer to your heart’s question of where he stood, and where you stood together, in your life of faith. God is so good! Thank you for sharing…
Thank you for sharing this beautiful family memory and your story of coming to the same page. So sweet and powerful.