This chapter described how Anna got saved. I could kind of relate to her worrying that God wouldn't forgive her for being mad at Him/hating Him. I liked how Lynnette explained to Anna how Anna would be heartbroken if her mom asked her for forgiveness but wouldn't accept it.
What were your own experience of being saved/baptized like?
Being saved was so long ago, back in 1976. There was a Lutheran church on the corner by our house and my sister and I used to go there every summer for Vacation Bible School (more for the snacks and crafts than anything, LOL). But when I was 9 I did get saved there, I even remember the song "Into my heart, into my heart, come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today, come in to stay, come into my heart, Lord Jesus."
As for baptism, I haven't been baptized. I almost drowned when I was 12 so I'm pretty terrified of water. Ironically, the past 21 months I've been faithfully attending a Baptist church. Even though I've met a lot of nice people there, I can't become a member yet because of this baptism thing, ugh. I joked with the pastor that maybe I should become a Methodist (where you have a choice of sprinkle, pour or immerse). I also joke about wearing scuba gear. I don't have very good lung capacity, and I know it's irrational because it's only a couple seconds underwater but I just know I'll drown.
Have you had times when you jumped between the worst and best of things?
Not so much with myself or my family but I remember about 15 years ago when I worked for an insurance company in Orlando, I was really close to one of the other women in my department (she trained me when I first started there). She got breast cancer. She'd have surgery and come back after a while and we'd think she was better, but then they'd find more cancer and she'd have to go through more chemo. Remember, I loved her! So I hadn't heard for a long time (months) how she was doing the last time she went out sick. One morning I arrived at work and got an email with her name as the subject line (so I assumed it was advising the date she was coming back to work). Instead it said that she passed away. To be back and forth like that with her so much and then to find out she was gone was really hard to take and I got hysterical. Nobody understood what was so wrong about finding out about her dying through a stupid email.
My sister is so scared of water too & she hasn't been baptized either. I can relate to your friend and being back & forth alot. A place I used to work, where my boss was like that went on for 3 yrs and then one day he went home to be with God. So sad, he was battling cancer too.
ReplyDeleteMaybe one day you can overcome your fear. It's certainly a rational one and I definitely understand not wanting to be under the water.
ReplyDeleteSorry you had to find out through an email. :(