Baptism

On Saturday, March 1st, all dressed in white I entered the baptismal font with my eldest son, 8 years old, raised my arm to the square, pronounced the baptismal prayer, gently lowered him into the water and raised him back out. The feelings that were present cannot be expressed by words that I know of. There was hope and love, excitement on my sons part, reverence, and belonging. There was something more than that also.

For me it comes as a warm feeling in the core of my self. I like to think of it as a manifestation of God's love through the Holy Ghost. It comes often when I study and pray about spiritual things and comes strongly at times like this baptism and other ordinances that I have witnessed or participated in. It's why I believe in what atheists call "fairy stories". I haven't seen God, I've only felt him in this way. As surely as it can't be measured or fully explained, it is real, however. No matter how much one tells me that it didn't happen or is because of some physical malady, self-hypnosis or other "partially" explained cause that cannot either be proven, but with which they hang their rationalizations that my witness of what happened is baloney, I know what happened. There's a goodness out there that so many are just dismissing. I am glad that I have it.

It was a great time and we were surrounded by friends and family. Afterward we all met at my parents house where we ate my wife's excellent cooking. (Her cheesecake brownies will wreck any diet.) It was a great day.