Pax's Baptism

Hello brothers and sisters. My name is Pax Joseph Frey and I was just baptized (which is, of course, why I can call you all my brothers and sisters). I would love to share with you all my experience of baptism. First, you need to understand I am still less than 4 months old. I don't know very much yet, and I understand even less. But there is one thing I know even at this young age. The thing I know is that I have parents who love me.

I know this because they tell me every day. Guess what my favorite Bible verse is? "You are my son, whom I love. With you I am well pleased." I know this verse because my daddy tells it to me every day. I know my mommy and daddy love me because they always tell me - and because they always show me. Whenever I cry out to them, they are right there to answer me. Whenever I make a mess, they are right there to clean me up. Whenever I fall and bump my head or scrape my skin, I get all kinds of hugs and kisses to reassure me that I am ok. I am still very young, but I know my mommy and daddy love me. They tell me that even though they love me unconditionally, some day I will have to either accept them as my family and trust their love, authority and wisdom, or walk away from them and go my own way. But no matter what happens in the future - no matter what choices I make or what paths I take, I my mommy and daddy love me more than anything in the world and nothing I could ever do will change that.

My mommy and daddy also tell me I have an even better daddy who loves me far more than even they do. They tell me I can be sure of that through my baptism. They tell me that in baptism my heavenly daddy breaks through the clouds, and as his Holy Spirit descends on me and seals me as his own forever, he declares to the world, "This is my son, whom I love. With him I am well pleased." Mommy and Daddy tell me that I can know my heavenly daddy loves me because he shows me all the time. Whenever I cry out to him, he is right there to answer me. Whenever I make a mess. he is right there to make me clean. Whenever I stumble and fall, he is right there to pick me up and get me back on the right path.

Most of all they tell me that I can know I have a heavenly daddy who loves me because he has given me two great gifts. One is this great big family called the church that at my baptism promised to accept me and nurture me and help me in all the stages of my growth. The best gift is his Son, my brother, Jesus Christ. Jesus is God, but he became a baby just like me. He grew up and faced all the things I will have to face. He even died so that I may die to sin and was raised to life that I might live life to the fullest. "WOW! What a gift!"

But they also tell me that even though he loves me unconditionally, some day I am going to have to start choosing for myself whether I am going to accept him and his church as my family, following him by trusting in his love, authority and wisdom, or if I am going to walk away from my family and choose my own path. Yes, I am young. No, I don't understand very much. But no matter what happens in the future - no matter what choices I make or what paths I take, I know that I have a Daddy in Heaven and a Family of Faith here on earth who love me more than anything in the world and nothing I could ever do will change that!