My Daughter is My Sister!

For a while now, as Ashley's friends have made the decision to give their lives to Christ and be baptized, she has mentioned it. We have talked about it as a family, and I have prayed about it frequently. Truly, her biggest obstacle, in her mind, is her 'crowd shyness'. She absolutely, positively, didn't want to be baptized in front of the church and she absolutely, positively, didn't want to be 'singled out' in front of church afterward even if she chose to be baptized in private. I continued to assure her neither of those were requirements for telling Jesus you were ready to be His girl, but she just wasn't sure...

Last week, while Ashley was safely tucked away at camp, and Troy and I were cuddled on the couch watching a movie, she sent me a text message, "I HAVE to get baptized in the next week! I can't explain it, but it's something I have to do." There were other words, that I treasured in my heart (and on my iphone! ;-), but with those words, she didn't HAVE to explain it. I knew. We really didn't talk about it much at all when she got home, but last night after we got home from church, we opened up the conversation about it. In short, she felt exactly the same: it must be done. She was ready to go in my bathtub!!

But we chose to break into let ourselves into the church, just the 4 of us. (Roxanne said, "There's nothing like a little breaking and entering with your parents before giving your life to Christ." Indeed). Her daddy said some beautiful words about her decision, what it meant to HER, as well as what it meant to all of us. I didn't cry too much. But I am so amazingly thankful. According to Acts 2:38, now my daughter has received the gift of the Holy Spirit. I believe that with that indwelling, no matter the choices she makes in her life or the roads she may walk, the Spirit will remind her again and again of the cleansing waters she experienced -- a joining of Christ in his death when He was the ultimate sacrifice. I'm walking on the clouds right now, watching the heavens rejoicing as they welcome my new sister!

P.S. youtube is still chugging trying to upload the video. If you would like to see it, email me sstirman [at] gmail [dot] com and I will send you the link to it (if it ever fully uploads!)