Nearly 34 years ago, February 18, 1979, my parents along with my Aunt Deb and Uncle Bill committed to bring me up in the Catholic church. They had me baptized in front of other family and friends, committing to God that I would know Him and Jesus throughout my life. Fifteen years later, as a sophomore in high school, I confirmed this baptismal promise through the sacrament of Confirmation. However, when I was 15 I wasn't really taking my Christian faith very seriously, so like many kids at that age I just did what the group was doing. Including making my confirmation, but also choosing to live sinfully without much remorse. Yesterday I made the decision to redeem this decision.
Last week our teams decided to have a 12 hour prayer vigil. We wanted God to have the Holy Spirit convict our hearts for ways that we could better use our time here in Tondo. There is so much need and we wanted to ask God where He needed us most. During my second hour of prayer time God placed John 3:5-6 on my heart:
Jesus said, "You're not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation–the 'wind-hovering-over-the-water' creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life–it's not possible to enter God's kingdom. When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch–the Spirit–and becomes a living spirit."
As I prayed about these verses over the next few days God placed it on my heart to be baptized. In the past, as I've met protestant Christians and been asked to share my story of being saved, it was always a little uncomfortable. I've always felt that even though I was baptized at only a few weeks old Jesus had become part of my life in that moment. Now that I've spent more time having a relationship with Jesus I realize that he was being a part of my life, but I was not being a part of his resurrection. That's why on Monday, December 17 I asked my friend and team mate, Tess, to baptize me in the South China Sea.
Repenting my sinful past and committing my life to Jesus felt amazing! Being able to symbolically show God and Christ that I am choosing to live my life for them has become very important to me on this Kingdom journey. I feel it keeps me accountable for my actions and discipline in the Lord. My commitment to God and Jesus feels more real to me now.
