This past Sunday, a man rolled his wheelchair-bound mother into the auditorium of our church building. As she passed by our pew, I leaned over to tell my young friend Collins that the sweet lady in the wheelchair recently got baptized. Collins said, “Was it hard for her to get in the water?” I answered, “Yes, it was.” It was actually very difficult for her. A couple of nights earlier I watched her slowly make her way up a few stairs to the changing room, flanked by her son and daughter-in-law. Halfway up, they had to give her an inhaler and let her rest. Several of us watched a little later as she came up out of the baptistry water, happy, but hanging on to Neal’s arm and gasping for breath. Her conviction led her to get in the water. Her bravery moved the rest of us to tears.
I’ve seen many other baptisms where it was ‘hard for them to get in the water’ but it had nothing to do with physical limitations. I knew a very vocal atheist who surprised everyone when he embraced and obeyed the Truth. I met a young couple who obeyed the gospel knowing their family wouldn’t approve. (They were actually disowned by their family.) I’ve seen individuals put on Christ only after painfully acknowledging that what they’d always been taught was wrong. I’ve seen people willing to get baptized knowing full well they were going to have to significantly change their worldly lifestyle. You can’t help but be moved by such examples of humility and faith!
These memorable moments have been happening since the very beginning of the church. Can you imagine what Paul must’ve felt as he went from “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” to becoming one of them (Acts 9)?
Every single baptism is special, but I’m especially thankful for those who were willing to overcome obstacles. Perhaps your own conversion story involved something that made it hard to get in the water. If so, I hope you realize that, in addition to making the very best decision of your life, you also inspired others by your courage!
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).