This past Sunday, my son was baptized. Because of his age (he's nearly 3) I thought it would be wise to talk to him a little and prepare him not only for what would happen during the baptism ceremony, but also to help him understand what it means to be baptized. He understood and had no qualms about standing in front of a crowd of people. In fact, during the first 15 minutes of the church service he repeatedly asked if it was "his turn." When he had waited long enough, he picked up the remote control to our video camera and started pointing it at the preacher, as if to say, "Let's fast forward to the good part." The people in the rows behind us were already laughing. My parents, my husband's parents and my siblings were all laughing.
Then we were called to the front of the sanctuary. Joseph was a pro. He was totally prepared for what was going to happen. As my husband held him and we waited our turn (there were 3 others being baptized too), Joseph pulled my husband's name tag off his shirt. No big deal, right? Then he proceeded to stick it all over his face, my husband's head, and finally it landed on his mouth. I couldn't even look at my family. The rest of the congregation was doubled over, wiping tears from their eyes, trying to stifle their laughter. When it was finally Joseph's turn to be baptized, he removed the sticker from his mouth and behaved like an angel.
That night, as I was putting him to bed, we reviewed what it meant to be baptized. To put it in 2-year-old terms, I reminded him that Jesus was his protector and his rescuer... kind of like a super hero. Then Joseph asked, "Mommy, will Jesus save me?" I beamed! I had actually explained this so he could understand! "Absolutely," I replied. "Why?" he asked, his knew favorite word. I answered, "Because he loves you very much." After a brief pause to process this information, Joseph looked up at me and asked, "Mommy, if I get stuck under a rock, will Jesus save me?" All I could say was, "Yes." I love two-year-old logic!
