My Baptism in Water

20 years passed since my experience of the Holy Spirit took place (see Pigeon Poo story). The desire to be baptised in water had been in my heart ever since, but alas I was lost going from church to church, not feeling that I belonged anywhere. This caused me to fall away from God, I didn't understand fully what it meant to be a Christian and it seemed ever so hard to follow Jesus. I did try from time to time to come back to attending church, but it just seemed to get harder each time.

It was not until I met my husband that "coming back" seemed easier. My 20 years in the wilderness of not attending church ended. I was now back attending church regularly and for the first time, I felt like I belonged. I was happy.

Finally in June 2006 I was baptised, an event which was 20 years overdue. I wanted a full body immersion baptism (as how Jesus had his). It was an emotional time for me as I realised how God had been with me all the time I was lost, and how He had found me again. I wrote a song for Him and also gave a testimony of how I came to know and love God.

God's gift - A Baptism Stone

As usual, I invited friends and family to witness the occasion. My parents-in-law who live in Norway were thrilled about the news (especially as my father-in-law is a pastor there). Unfortunately for him, he couldn't come as he had already arranged to go to an annual family re-union in North Norway and had already bought his plane ticket. So only my mother-in-law was able to attend.

When the baptismal ceremony (in the UK) started, my father-in-law (in North Norway) thought that he would pray for me (it was the least he could do by not being there), so he excused himself from his family reunion for a while. He took a walk along a pebble beach where he prayed. In his prayer he asked if God could give me something special as a baptism present. The beach was full of beautiful pebble stones – all white, rounded and very polished, so he thought that perhaps he could find a beautiful stone for me.

Upon finishing his prayer, his eyes fell on a rough, grey stone (so unlike the others) situated not far from him. He picked it up because he was drawn to the heart shape on it. At first he thought that it wasn't beautiful enough because it was not white and polished like the others, but then a little voice in his heart persuaded him that it was the one. He looked at it again and the heart shape on it grew on him, he was then suddenly reminded of a passage in:

Daniel 2:45:  

"...rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands..."

Lost and Found

So, he took the stone for me, put it in his pocket and started to walk back. Whilst walking back, he saw some beautiful purple flowers and couldn't resist taking pictures of them. As he did so, he felt the stone heavy in his pocket, so he took it out and placed it carefully nearby until he had finished taking pictures of the purple flowers. Once finished, he left and walked back. As he approached his family, he realised that he had forgotten to take the stone back with him.

Looking back at the beach before him he thought he would never find it again – there were so many stones, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack. But he thought that if he could only find the purple flowers again, he would find the stone. After some time, he found the purple flowers and there was the stone waiting to be picked up again. He decided to take a video of this moment.

(It was very strange that he should do this, but we later found out that the moment he found the stone by the purple flowers (in North Norway) was the very moment I went under the water of baptism (in the UK). We knew of this timing by comparing the video he took of the stone by the purple flowers with the video my husband took of my baptism. God must have wanted us to know of this perfect timing and its significance. What an awesome God!)

Later that same day when he got home, my father-in-law saw a dark grey cross in the middle of the heart on the stone; it leapt up at him. He could barely believe his eyes. He was so inspired by the markings on the stone that he made a sermon of the stone, and preached it in several churches in Norway. All that have heard and seen the stone were amazed, never had they seen such a stone!

Silhouette of a Lady holding a Baby

Another amazing thing was also discovered that day - when the foot print is turned upside down, you could make out the silhouette a lady holding a child in her arms.

We didn't know it then, not until much later, but my husband and I have been told that we cannot have children. There is practically 0 % of that ever happening. The baby footprint on the stone confirmed to us that God knows our problems and that everything is in His hands for only He can make all things possible. This has been my strength and my refuge during tough times of being childless.

Psalm 62: 6-7: He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honour depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.