Best Baptism Ever...

We have a prayer time at  church for all our people which starts at 8:30.  After the prayer time we begin to get ready for our ABF classes and Focus groups.   As I was walking out the room our children's director comes up to me and tell me there will be a baptism today and asked me if I would help with it.  This is something I normally do if I am not doing a baptism.  She continues to tell me that Sam is getting baptized today.  Now Sam is one of the coolest kids ever.  Sam is a fun loving child who lights up the room with his smile and curious personality.  Sam is autistic but you would never know it by seeing him or talking with him.  When I say he is one in a million I mean it.  

After our focus groups I am walking to the sanctuary and I see Sam and his father and family in our welcome area.  We are talking about how great this day is and how excited Sam is.  Sam was so excited that he shared with his special Olympic partner that he was getting baptized today. His partner happens to be a leader in your youth ministry and a very special girl.  She was so excited about Sam being baptized that she asked me if she could help with anything.  I told her she could come back there and help Sam if he needed it.  Later she would be crying because she was laughing so hard at Sam and she wouldn't be the only one...

Now we do our baptism's in the middle of our services so Sam was getting ready and his cousin from ACC was going to baptize him.  Theywere all set so I gave her the instructions on when to go and what to do and Sam was telling Caitlin how excited he was.  Then the screen raised and they make their way in the water.  Caitlin and I are standing by the steps where no one can see this but we definitley have the best seats in the house.  She then dunks her cousin and they start to make their way out.  She is on one side and Sam is walking towards me and Caitlin.  He gets to the top step and looks at me and says, "I want to go back in!"  He then jumps backward holding his nose and lands in the water.  To say there was a splash is a understatement.  I am freaking out and laughing my head off at the same time.  I am frantically saying, "Sam come on buddy get out of the water, you can do it, get out of the water!"  Then Sam precedes to do some back strokes in the water and doggy paddle.  Caitlin is crying because she is laughing so hard, I am pleading with Sam to get out of the water and the congregation is singing Resurrection Power and some of them are laughing.  His cousin comes out by the grace of God and ask, "Where is Sam?"  I point to the water and plead with her to go get him.  She jumps back into the water pulls her cousin out and now all is right with our church service.  I walk into the service and many faces are smiling at me and I know exactly why.  

Now you may think that many people would be upset or elders coming up to say that will never happen again but everyone seemed to be really gracious about it.  One elder said it was the coolest thing he has seen in a long time.  I am so thankful for moments like that in ministry. I am so thankful that we can laugh at life and wonder if God is laughing to. 

So this blog is for you Sam, THE GREATEST BAPTISM EVER!!!!