Just a few minutes ago Jake was downstairs laying on the couch having his “quiet time” instead of a nap. He’s going on 5 now and so I am slowly and begrudgingly allowing him to give up my favorite past time. Since he will be going to all day (9 – 3) kindergarten this fall – I figure I can’t put it off much longer.
Anyways – he was laying there looking at the new issue of The Friend where there was a picture of a little boy being baptized. He looks up, and says (with his eyes big and round), “Mommy? When I get baptized, do I have to put my head all the way under the water?” “Yep,” I say. “But why??” he asks. I answer, “Because that’s the way Jesus was baptized and we need to follow his example.” Jake asks, “But why do we need to get baptized?” I say, “So we can be members of the church.”
Jacob then makes a really, really SAD face, and cries, “But Mom – I’m too scared to go all the way under the water!! I can’t hold my breath that long!” (Note – Jacob has never gone under the water by choice, and is terrified to even try…. I’m signing him up for swim lessons soon.) I tell him, “Daddy will hold you the whole time. But if you’re scared – you don’t have to get baptized. You can decide when you’re older.”
He sits fretting about if for a few minutes then asks, “Well, why do we need to be members of the church?” At this point I kind of hesitate, then Jake answers for me, “So we can go back up to heaven with Heavenly Father?” I say, “Yeah.”
Jake then makes a scared, but determined little face and says, “Oooh – kay. I’ll try.”
(Heart explodes here.)
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