A month ago, my niece and nephew publicly displayed their decision to follow Christ. Like their parents, I watch proudly as they were dipped into the water and emerged.  What truly touched my heart was that they made these decisions at such an early age.  For me, I was baptized with full understanding of the commitment I was making at the age of 15.  I was not pressured to do this, but the Holy Spirit nudged my heart to make this public declaration around that time.  However, when I see my niece and nephew and their siblings, I see God’s hands on their lives – at 9, 7, 5, and 3.  You see, these children consider their choices and match them up with God’s Word… And if they don’t line up, they choose something better.  Now, by no means am I implying that these children are perfect little angels that never make the wrong choice.  No, they are human, but they have allowed Jesus and the Holy Spirit to lead them and guide them in all truths.  And as I think about their paths, I think about the pitfalls that such an early decision will help them avoid – the devil may still try to distract them, but God will get the ultimate victory in their lives.  And that victory is going to come because as you will see in the pictures, they have such a cloud of witnesses about them.  They have a strong community to support in their seeking the Lord’s face and honoring Him in their lifestyle.  2 Proverbs come to mind.  The first is in the Bible, “Train up a child in the way in which he should go, and when he is older he shall not depart from it.”  And the second is an African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.”  I am thankful for my cousins Jonathan and Letty, who pray over, pray with, and train their children in the ways of the Lord.  And, I am thankful for their family, extended family, friends, and church family, who surround these children and point them back to the Father who is in Heaven!  To God be the glory!

See images from their baptism below.