The Baptism of Emily Rose

This weekend, our precious daughter was baptized as Jesus was, by immersion. We are so happy, as her parents, that she wishes to live her life with Jesus as her all the time friend and Savior.

After church friends came over for lunch and a special blessing for Emily Rose. I allowed her to choose the menu (haystacks and apple crisp), and to do the inviting of the people herself. About 25 of her favorite people were here, most of them adults that have special meaning in her life. Ten family members from out of town came an spent the weekend with us.

When lunch was finished, we gathered everyone together. I had earlier given them a chance to use paper and stickers to make a little card for Emily Rose with an affirmation, blessing and or Bible text on it. At this time everyone had a chance to share their thoughts with Emily Rose, and then she got to keep the cards they made for her.

On Thursday my husband and I had written out a prayer of blessing for her, printed it out and framed it. In Bible times people such as Abraham and Isaac blessed their children on their death bed. We have decided that we wish for our children to walk in the blessings of the Lord all their life, so we decided to take this opportunity to make a formal prayer of blessing for her. We placed our hands on her, and my husband read the prayer. Next we gave her a symbolic gift, a nativity set, to remind her that Jesus wants to be born in her every day. A friend gave her a little lamb to go with the set, and a wooden stable to place it in. She said that sometimes when she feels like her life is hard or bad, she remembers that Jesus was willing to leave heaven to be born in a dirty rough stable. So she takes courage that Jesus would be willing to be born in her too.

At the end of the day, at tuck in time, I asked Emily Rose about her feelings concerning the day. She said, in a quiet, awe filled voice, "It was special." And how does she feel after the day? "I feel loved."

It was good, so very good.