This morning I enjoyed the sweet privilege and blessing of seeing my son get baptized. Alan’s journey to this point in his life has not been without considerable inner turmoil, but how many things truly worth doing are ever easily won?

As I sopped up my inevitable and joyful tears–my husband Rick refers to this as eye leakage–I couldn’t stop praising God over and over again not only for answering many years of prayers but also for allowing me the opportunity to witness this special event. It doesn’t seem very long ago, although it has been probably 15 years, when I was also blessed to witness my daughter’s baptism. Kathy stood beside me this morning and together we watched Alan bury his “old self” and come up out of the water symbolically washed free of sin.

As I reflect on this now, I am so thankful for the example Jesus made of Himself:

“When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.” ~Luke 3:21-23a

Thank you, Jesus, for the perfect gift of…You!