Dear Frank,
We had a wonderful day at church last Sunday when our grandkids, Landon and Alyssa were baptized! We had been looking forward to this for awhile but coordinating schedules took some doing, so we planned for last Sunday when Beth and Tim were in town. The kids were so excited; well really, we all were excited!
Things worked perfectly, although a little different than usual. The sanctuary was decorated for Christmas and the baptistry was hidden, so, fourteen of us assembled behind the stage, and up the steps between the second and third services. We invited several of our dearest friends to witness the baptism; friends who have watched the kids grow up. Joe and Cheri made the trip to Columbus, as well as Roscoe and Marla, who drove 40 minutes from their new home in Baltimore.
When we first talked about this day, I had told the kids that their dad could baptize them, or even I could baptize them – in your absence, or Jay could baptize them; they could choose. They overwhelmingly chose Jay! That was a perfect choice since they knew him from church and summer Vacation Bible School. Jay was great!
Jay made the kids feel comfortable in the water. (Alyssa had told us earlier that she was a little nervous.) Landon went first. Jay told each one that this was the single most important day in their lives. He said that this decision would mean that Jesus would always be with them – in this life and in the next, for eternity. He took their confession of faith and had them repeat after him: “I believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and I choose, to follow Him.” Jay showed them how to plug their nose so they wouldn’t choke, and then, as he immersed them, Jay said “Because of your confession of faith, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, for the forgiveness of all sin and for the gift of the Holy Spirit, for now and evermore”. What a thrill! The Bible tells us that “when one sinner repents, there is rejoicing in Heaven” (Luke 15:7). We all bet that you were surely rejoicing the loudest!
After the 11:10 worship service, we quickly set up the food for the light luncheon we had planned right there at the church. Beth and I provided an easy, picnic-style lunch with subs, potato salad, coleslaw, and chips. Dessert was a beautiful cake with rainbows on the side and a Willow Tree figure with arms open wide, named Happiness, for the top.
After most everyone had eaten, we presented the kids with a couple of gifts. Tim, Beth and her parents gave each one a lovely cross necklace with their names and the date engraved on it. I gave Landon and Alyssa each, their personal Bible with their names engraved on the front.
The day was a wonderfully happy time for us all. We all acknowledge that you, Frank, played a big role in their desire to follow Jesus. I praise God for that, and for you.
Love you, hon,
Pam
Pam, what a beautiful letter! Frank would have also been happy to know that someone wore a bright color shirt just for him on this special day. 🙂 Thank you very much for inviting us to share in the baptism of Landon and Alyssa. You are an amazing Grandma and I’m sure you also played a big part in Landon and Alyssa making the most wonderful decision they could ever make.
Thank you, Marla. It was such a satisfying day in so many ways. So glad you and Roscoe were there, too!
Pam, what a wonderful letter, you show how much you enjoy your grandchildren. This is one of the most serious decisions one makes in their life. Thank you Grandma for being a big part of their life to see them give their lives to Christ.
Thanks. Jean. I am so grateful that they had a desire to take this step.
Life is difficult even for our young children. It’s so reassuring to know that God is always with us!