By Vicki Scott
Life is throwing blessings our way and it does not seem it could get any sweeter then our two oldest grandchildren come to me wanting to be baptized. They made their decision during Vacation Bible School at our church. It is ironic that God used Vacation Bible School to show the girls the light. Both girls specifically asked to be baptized at our church. I quickly shared the news with their parents in a group text and volunteered our pastor to do the honors. They agreed, and I was floating on a cloud until I realized I needed to let our pastor know what I volunteered him for. There was no need to be nervous. Our pastor was supportive and honored to perform the baptism.
Shortly afterwards, I lost all control of my senses. Baptism is a big deal for me and I know others feel the same way. My plan was to flood Facebook with a celebration like none other. I wanted our grands to have fond memories of being baptized to pass on to their children and grandchildren.
“Child of God” came into my mind as I ordered t-shirts with this quote: “I am a Child of God.” However, the sizes I ordered were too small. When I tried to cancel the order, the company said it could not be canceled. Thankfully, our younger grands, Tyler Kate and Addison Victoria would be able to wear the shirt and be included in the festivities.
I settled for a sash that could be worn across their heart that says, “Baptized.” I accessorized the sash with a gold-colored crown for our “royal” grandchildren. I found a crown easily, but I had to make the sash myself out of a thick ribbon. These items would explain who they are, but I felt the need to prepare them for life as a follower of Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-18 tells of “putting on the full armor of God,” so I sought out to find a full armor of God. I found a set online, but not liking the shoes that came with it, I found another pair that would work in the demonstration. The girls could wear the armor to remind them of who they are in Christ. The Sword of Truth is symbolic of the Bible, so with the help of my husband, Alan, we found a Bible to aid our grands in learning to be a warrior for Christ.
Our pastor preached on the Armor of God the Sunday before baptism day, not knowing what I was planning, which reaffirmed my idea behind the costumes. The pastor printed up certificates of baptisms for me to proof. On them were references to Ephesians and being a child of God. I did not tell him about my plans; this was God at work.
On Baptism Sunday, pastor met with our grands one more time and prayed with them. Our music director added songs about baptism and being a light to the celebration. Videos and lots of pictures were taken. We were asked to stay after for more photo opportunities, so I asked all our guests, friends and family to stand behind the pulpit for a picture of part of our village. It takes a village to raise a child, and we are blessed with a huge village.
Afterward, we went back to our lake house to have brunch. One of our daughter’s friends made a balloon display perfect for pictures of the girls with their sashes and crowns. I thought about asking her to do a balloon display, but I was sidetracked. God was not sidetracked, however.
Later, some of the other children found the box of the full armor of God. I explained the pieces as I put them on our baptized grands and told them to share with their friends what they just learned. They seemed to enjoy putting the pieces on and playing. Some adults enjoyed it, too.
The full armor of God is for adults, as well. When life is going well, I was told to watch out, something bad might happen. These baptisms reminded me that I must stay guarded when things are going good or bad. I am not looking for something bad to happen, as life is too short to worry about that. I am just keeping on the full armor of Ephesians 6:10-18.
Vicki Scott may be contacted at lily200383@yahoo.com.