B - Dearest Ben, You make me smile.

One of my favorite things about you is that you have the ability to surprise your mom, to make her just a little bit unsteady on her parenting feet. The subject today that did it? Baptism. She has been waiting for years for you to say something about wanting to be baptized. She even brought it up over the last few years, expecting you to have some desire to follow through with this ordinance of the church. But she told me every time she brought it up, you basically blew her off. She couldn't figure it out... until today, when you finally told her that you had been baptized " a long time ago at camp."  Seeing as how I was the one to take you to camp, she called me immediately. 'When did this happen?" "Why has no one told me?" she asked.
I had no idea what she was talking about and truthfully you weren't much help. "Some guy with a beard, when I was around 10 years old... in a lake."  At first your mom and I thought it was an April fool's joke. But you were adamant about it.

So I did some investigating. I called up the camp director and asked him if anyone had ever been baptized at camp.  He responded by telling me a story of one particular counselor who had asked to take HIS cabin of boys from HIS church, down to the lake and baptize them.
So Ben, my mind is creating so many scenarios of how you got in that line.  Did you see others in the lake and just want to get wet? Did you sneak in line so that the counselor thought you were one of his kids? I know you loved Jesus even back then. I'm glad you took the initiative and got baptized, but Ben, YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU MOTHER! :)

Anyway, I am very proud of you. As your "ex children's pastor" and friend, I want you to know that I see God doing awesome things in your life. I'm really excited about your upcoming missions trip. I believe that it is the first of many!

Hug your mom for me,

(Ex) Pastor Linda



L