My Baby Decided To Get Water Baptized

As Christian parents, there is nothing more beautiful than watching your child experience his/her own spiritual journey.

Here, Mummy Jiahui shares her thoughts as she witnesses her daughter cementing her faith in Christ through water baptism. And we have daughter, Nicole, sharing her experience with us first-hand!

Nicole says …

I’ve been wanting to be water baptised for quite some time. I just did not know when. Somehow, I decided that eleven is a good age to be water baptised and I wanted to do it before my exams (not sure why! :p). I just want to follow Jesus, and I know I would never ever regret this decision.

The feeling before baptism is a mix of excitement and nervousness. I had a lot of questions in my head … Do I hold my breath when I go in the water? Do I close my eyes? Where do I put my slippers? Is the water cold?

Thankfully, my parents helped answer these questions and gave me a lot of assurance. I started feeling more and more excited as the day drew near.

Nicole, after her water baptism …

Baptism is over! I feel like a brand new person. It’s a feeling I can’t explain! It is not a bad feeling, it is a good one. I feel anew, like a new person! After you get out of the water, I feel like I need to introduce more people to God. They need to know Him!

Mummy, Jiahui, says …

One of the most treasured photo I’ve seen is one of my children in worship. When I see them with hands lifted, eyes closed and in deep worship, I feel like there’s a tap on my shoulder, and God telling me, “That’s your baby worshipping Me.”

The joy and the fuzzy feeling I get is far better than when they stood on stage to collect a prize, when they completed a somersault, or when they first cycled on a two-wheeler. It always touches me when I see little children (may not be mine!) worshipping God. So when they are my very own kids, the joy is indescribable!

Recently, I reached a new level of joy and fuzziness. Nicole decided she wanted to get water baptized! My 11-year-old tween decided, the time is now, she is serious about God, and wants to tell the whole world how serious she is! Wooohooo!

We know that water baptism is an “outward” act of obedience—it is a declaration of faith in God’s work and the power of the Holy Spirit to live a new life in righteousness. Simply put, it is to publicly say you have faith in God, and you are identifying with Christ. Nicole has witnessed a few water baptisms, and she has asked me about the why’s, the what’s and the how’s. We’ve never preached to her any sermon on water baptism, nor have we told her that it is a must. We’ve never ever nudged her to making this decision. Thus when she told us she was ready for it, we knew she made the decision on her own.

Someone asked me, was the moment special? Yes of course. It was as special as when she first said the Sinner’s Prayer, when she first spoke in tongues, when she first fell under the power of the Holy Spirit, and when she first heard God’s voice. To me, anything that adds to her relationship with God is significant. I am so happy she made this decision, and I’m so thankful that she loves God and is not ashamed of her faith.

If it seems like I’m downplaying the moment, I’m not! I would still be there, with my cameras to capture the moment. I would still be loudly cheering for her as she walks down the pool steps. And I would possibly be tearing in joy as she takes that same step of faith as I did many years ago. My prayer for her now would be for her love for God to increase, the fear of God to grow and her heart to always be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

Meanwhile, I am looking forward to the next tap on my shoulder…