We sneaked down to the swimming pool under the cover of darkness and well after the written curfew of 9 p.m. It was 10:30. It was the perfect time for a baptism.
My wonderful teammate Courtney Burks has been baptized before, but she felt that it wasn't really her decision when it first happened at age 8. During worship that night with the squad, though, she heard the voice of the Lord calling her, clear as day, and telling her that it was time to be baptized. This had been a plan of hers for the World Race, but the timing hadn't felt right till that night.
She grabbed Renee Durham, another one of the women I'm blessed to have on my team, and I and told us that she'd like us to do the honors … "for reasons we may never know." She also found the rest of her teammates that she has on the Race, and the 10 of us gathered downstairs by the pool.
Courtney, Renee and I got in and then, following the advice of one of my pastors, Dan Davis, I invited everyone in the water. After all, if the water's holy, why wouldn't you get in? After one other person got in, we commenced the ceremony. Renee and I each spoke and then we baptized Courtney in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
The old Courtney went in. The new Courtney came back out.
And as soon as she reemerged from the water, the men from her two teams cannonballed into the pool in celebration of her decision.
And her Father in Heaven smiled down.
