A couple of weeks after we started dating, Derek and I were sitting together at a Shabbat group and I grabbed his Bible to read my portion. After I was done, I flipped over to the front of it and I noticed an inscription from his family that said, "Congratulations on your baptism, we love you, 4/10/2010." I almost fell off my seat because one of my Bibles has the exact same inscription only it was from my mom, so basically, we found out that we were baptized on the same day, of the same year, and both our families gave us Bibles. I thought that was pretty special. :-)
"Baptism" is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizo which means to immerse. In Hebrew it is referred to as a MIKVEH - an immersion. Basically it is an immersion into another substance, for the purpose of being saturated by it, such as water. The new covenant also presents the immersion of a believer "in the Spirit of God" and "with Fire." (Matthew 3:11)
When you think of water, you think of cleansing, purification, renewal and refreshment. Through the Bible, it applied to all changes of status in life and for marking transitions to new appointment or position in life. To me, baptism is an acknowledgment that Yahweh is the source of all life, and it's a commitment to live trusting in His power working in me.
So today, I'm thankful for newness of life, for second chances and for His mercies that are new every morning. I'm thankful for the little surprises that remind me that Our Father cares about the small things. Happy Baptism Day to Us!
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