Dear Friends
For most of my life I have been aware that God has been knocking on my door. A secret guarded more tightly than Fort Knox for fear my calling would be discovered. For most of my life I have ignored that knocking or only answered it on my terms, usually secretly, and when convenient for me.
The events of the last two years have highlighted loud and clear that God has worked miracles in my life and disciplined me at the same time. Most dramatic of those is Carys – a 900 gram baby recovering from an illness that comes with a 50% – 90% mortality rate when she was hardly a month old.
At the same time, God has been saying to me, "stop hiding out." A very dear friend of mine (David Brightling) recently said to me, and I paraphrase a bit here, "Most people walk through life with no vision, no calling. If you think you’re being called and it’s from God, this is a no brainer. Answer it." And so the rubber hits the road.
Where this leads me, Tess, Seb and the Terrific Trio, and what form this calling takes, only time and God will tell. The world around me is both familiar and unfamiliar at the moment. For now we’re not going anywhere, except… the next step on my Walk with God and commitment to Jesus Christ, is to be Baptised on Sunday, September 18 during the 9:30 AM service at Union Church on Kennedy Road. Yes, I was Christened as a baby – and I am eternally grateful to my father and late mother for that occasion – but this event is a public declaration and line of demarcation in my life. As a special friend in my life I invite you to attend and hope to see you there.
I also have Tess to thank for she is the one who laid the cobbles in the path that led me to this point.
"Do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart."
Proverbs 3:1
There but for the Grace of God I go.
Charles
Reader interactions
12 Replies to “I’ve been discovered…”
Beautiful. Congratulations on your re-commitment to God. Although I understand baptism as an infant, as adults, I believe we have to re-commit ourselves to Christ. As infants, it wasn’t a choice freely made. As adults it is. I was baptised in 1998, at the age of 35.
Congratulations on your baptism, Charles! We’ll be with you in thought & prayer. As you continue to walk closely with God, he will reveal his calling – one step at a time.
Charles, great stuff. I will be baptizing a few people from our church tomorrow–will be thinking of you.
Peace
ahhhh, a subject near & dear. Having accepted Christ as my Lord & Savior at the tender age of 7, my earthly father has been asking when I will be baptized for 25 years now. I really must do this. Wonder why it scares me.
Anyway, my Dad also felt that strong calling about 7 years ago. Then he left his fulltime job, joined TIME Ministries, and became a full time missionary. And although it means so much time away from his family, he could not be happier, serving a great God.
Thanks for the post.
The ‘Amazing Race’ has nothing on this. This is reality living at its best! So glad you took this step, Chuck. I too was baptized as an infant but, on becoming a Christian at age 30, was baptized as an adult. Wishing you God’s best, Charles.
Much love, M xox
Congrats Charles, I will be thinking of you!
Auntie P
Charles,
Congratulations on taking this next step. It is such an important one. I was baptised at the age of 15 but in many ways I wish that I had been older as the reality of God’s call on my life didn’t really hit until I was older.
May you continue to grow in God’s grace.
Congratulations on your baptism, Charles. How exciting that you are open to God’s call, and trying to discern the next stage on your journey.
May the peace of the Lord be always with you.
Charles. What a day of rejoicing that will be….(old church hymn, perhaps Tess can humm it to you!)
I am grateful to hear of your choice to be baptized and send a prayer across the way for you.
Congratulations, Charles. What a wonderful post. Your dedication and faithful goals are so inspiring to me. It’s people like you and Tess who make me want to be the person I CAN be.
May God always bless you and keep you.
Charles, I was abosolutely thrilled when I heard you’d been baptised!! I was baptised last year and wondered why I had waited so long:-)
j
i always knew.