When the Time is Right

She is a precious girl.
At 15 years old, she has certainly seen more of life than I had at that age. She's one tough cookie: As the oldest of three, she had to learn to take care of the younger ones when her momma couldn't. Sometimes it was because Momma was at work. Sometimes it was because Momma was incarcerated. Sometimes it was because even if Momma was there, she was too out of it to take care of anyone.

When I met this teen a few years ago, she was into being "gothic," dying her hair an inky black and powdering her face a pasty white. As she got involved in our church and with our youth, transformation happened. The outside of her changed as God chipped away at the inside. I saw her cling to the Bible like Linus clings to his blanket. It was security. It was solid. It was dependable--like nothing else in her life. She instinctively took God at His Word, rarely needing explanation. She gave Him the obedience no one else had bothered to ask for. And yesterday, she announced that it was time. She wanted to be baptized.

I sat down to counsel with her and found a faith remarkably strong--resilient--and a fierce determination to go the distance. She understood what she was doing. She had prayed to receive Christ way back when she was in second grade. Now, however, she believed she had the understanding to make a public profession of her faith. I believe that, too. This young woman has a better understanding than many adults I know.

"Do you think my dad will come?" she asked me. "He came to my band concert, and this is more important than that!"

I have a dear friend whose entire family was led to Christ by her brother, who was saved at the age of 14. This friend had never even entered a church until she was 17 years old, and she and her mom and dad went to see her brother get baptized. That Sunday morning was a watershed moment for her entire family as God used it to prick their hearts. Within a year, the entire family was saved by the blood of the Lamb.

I believe there is hope for this dad and for this teen's mom, too. I believe that God still uses kids to influence their families toward spiritual transformation. If you believe that too, will you pray with me that he will come to see her baptized? I told her that if she told him how important it was to her that he be there, then he would probably make an effort to come. Please pray with me!