It was such an encouraging event to witness. We were grateful to have been invited and to make the trek to Appleton to spur our new brother on in Christ. This trip to support Pavielle was an amazing one for us because he and Taylor (the oldest) have been best buds since they were toddlers. We wouldn't want to have missed such a monumental time and certainly didn't want Taylor to miss it either.
I just read Ezekiel 36:25 & 26 today.
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws."
This scripture offers me another new perspective on baptism and having a "new life" or becoming a "new creation". The disciples that followed Christ around for the three years of his hands on ministry were clueless about being different until His death provided the Spirit to change their hearts. We are the same. Even after baptism, we need to cling to the will of God to operate on us and give us new hearts so that we can love with Christlike love, rather than with human love.
Jesus is so simple and complex. We can often wonder and worry that kids who choose him at 13 and 14 will not keep Him at the center of their hearts. It's our human love that makes us fret over the commitment. Jesus' love will keep Pavielle faithful, if he allows Him to....just like He is willing to do for you and me.
It was a great opportunity to see God at work in the Burns' lives. It inspires me to pray and hope for our children the same gifts that Pavielle accepted at his baptism from the sacrifice and love of Christ. It's hard to proclaim this truth, but it is still the truth...
JESUS IS LORD!!!
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