Sunday was a monumental day for my daughter. She made the decision to follow Christ’s example and be water baptized. I knew the day would be significant. I knew this was a big step in her walk with Christ. I knew it would be emotional….

But I wasn’t expecting my reaction.

In my mind, there would be photos and a steady flow of joyful tears.

In my mind, it would be special.

In my mind, it would be cause for celebration.

In my mind, it was going to be beautiful.

It was ALL those things, but so much more.

What actually happened was completely unexpected and I am treasuring it in my heart. I keep reliving it again and again. Playing it like a reel in my mind over and over.

I will try my best to paint the picture and help you to understand.

The worship music was playing. The baptismal pool there on the stage. The people to be baptized lined up ready to make their public declaration of following Christ through baptism. I was standing in the second row worshipping. Our church plays worship music and the whole congregation worships during the baptisms.

I felt a draw like a magnet to move to the altar. Right up front. I walked up with Nia on my hip and Brycen walking right next to me. I started to worship at the altar. I needed to get closer to her. Needed to be right there.

A pull, a draw brought me right in front of the stage where she would be baptized. I didn’t bring my camera. I wasn’t getting close for a picture. I was moving so that I could be right there rejoicing with heaven over her.

I had previously told her that when she came up out of the water, the Lord would be rejoicing over her with song.

What I wasn’t expecting to happen was the complete abandon of myself over to worship as she went under the water and came back up.

Friends, a miracle was performed in the heavens!!

I just know a battle was won in the supernatural.

In that moment when she came up out of the water, I threw my fist up the in air like a victory was won. I began to thank the Lord over and over as I sobbed uncontrollably. I cried out a loud, “Yes!”

Followed by a, “Thank you Jesus! Thank YOU Jesus!!” I began to pray and worship God. I was crying and praying and thanking the Lord.

I thanked the Lord for His faithfulness to my children.

I thanked Him for setting my family on the solid rock of Jesus Christ where wind and rain may rage, but we cannot be shaken.

I thanked Him for the breaking of generations of dysfunction and unhealthy patterns.

I thanked Him for healing me so that my children could receive a foundation of faith.

I cried out a battle cry and danced a victory dance right there with complete and total abandon in front of the whole congregation. Nothing could have held back my worship. Nothing.

Later as I reflected on my unashamed, unhindered worship at the altar as my daughter came out of the water, I thought about David as he worshipped wildly in the streets when the ark of the covenant was returned to Israel. He went wild because he recognized God’s faithfulness and the victory this represented.

You see when God delivers you from the clutches of the enemy, a victory rises out of you that cannot be held back.

The enemy has been shooting firey arrows at me since before my birth.

BUT God.

I have overcome rejection, loss, trauma, poverty, parental drug abuse, and parental domestic violence all by the grace of God.

BUT God.

My childhood was not only less than ideal, it was survival mode for a large portion.

But God.

But God.

But God.

And my heart cry for the last 7 years has been that my children would follow Jesus and that I could hand them a baton of faith that they would carry to their children and their children’s children..

And right there as my beautiful Addyson came up out of the water, I came face to face with the Lord’s faithfulness and I couldn’t help but worship Him to the fullest. He is a gooooood gooood Father who carries out His promises to His children.

The enemy may have tried hard to take me out, He may have battled hard to separate me from my Lord, but God and I had a victory party on Sunday.

The Lord was rejoicing and singing over my daughter because she is the first fruits of a new generational line in my family tree that is following Jesus with complete devotion.

I didn’t grow up in a family of faith, not the type of faith that Jesus is the center of everything. But God saved me, healed me, set me on His Rock, and there on this rock my children are firmly planted.

Addyson is the first of my five children to take this step. I am trusting God with full expectation that the rest will also choose to follow Him.

Her baptism represents new life, new beginnings, new healthy family patterns, new baton of faith, first fruits, and a victory for the kingdom.

I pray to remember this moment and all of the feelings that came with it for the rest of my life.

My God is a miracle working, way making, faithful Father who is drawing my children to Him. He is saving them and keeping His promise to me that they would all be saved and serving Him.

Friends, if you are contending for the salvation of a child, keep praying. The Lord hears the heart cries of faithful parents. And as you pray for your children’s salvation, keep pursuing your relationship with Jesus with all you’ve got. The best thing you can do for your kids is let them see you fall in love with Jesus. Let them see you worship Him. Let them hear your prayers to Him. Let them witness you leaning on Him in hard seasons and praising Him in both the storms and in the victories. Go after Jesus with your whole heart and your whole mind and your whole soul and your children are likely to follow. And absolutely cover them in prayer. Pray over them every chance you can. The world is pulling them in the opposite direction of the Lord. It is a continual spiritual battle to keep them walking in the direction of Jesus. I feel the tension almost daily between the world and the truth of the Kingdom of Jesus. I pray and I trust that if I keep choosing Jesus, then they will too.

Here’s a link to the baptism and the full service.

Baptism Service

Dear Heavenly Father,

I am in awe of You. Complet and total AWE of you and Your goodness. Your faithfulness. The way you lean in and fill the gap when I fall or I fail. Lord, I pray that any parent who reads this that is praying for a child to turn to You is filled with fresh hope and new expectation that their children will taste salvation and turn to You. Lord, I pray for a generation of young people leading the way into serving You and loving You with their whole heart, mind, and soul. Let the whole earth be renewed with devotion to You and Your ways. Take back our children from the enemy and set them on solid ground rooted firmly in Your Word.

In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Blessings!

Vanessa Lynn