By Erica Weidner
On October 20, 2024, I had the honor of baptizing my sister (Megan Hanna) and my daughter (Eila Weidner). My sister and I lost our mom at a young age and didn’t know how to handle the huge void in our lives. Fast forward to 2017, when I accepted Jesus Christ into my life. I was a new mom, and I knew I wanted to have my kids grow up with a relationship with Jesus. I wanted them to turn to God anytime life was hard and praise Him when life was joyful. I know from experience how unconditionally loved we are by God and how faithful He is to us. When I found Mount Carmel Christian Church around May 2024, I asked my sister to join me. I was going through a divorce and just moved from the west side of town. She started attending, and I started praying that she find that desire and need for Jesus Christ in her life.
My daughter came to me asking to be baptized. I quizzed her a little bit asking her if she knew what that meant and wanted to make sure she was ready. At 7 years old, she was ready! She mentioned this decision to my sister, and her response was, “I want to do it too; let’s do it together!” The amount of relief, pride, and joy I felt was overwhelming. My sister asked if I could baptize them, and being someone who doesn’t like attention or public speaking, I wanted to say, “No way.” Then my daughter asked me, and I prayed about it. I realized that I had been the one praying for this, and my fear of being uncomfortable would not win. Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” I trusted the Lord.
Just before the baptism, I was a ball of nerves. Lisa prayed with us before we went out, and my emotions started to outweigh the anxiety. Oddly enough, I felt a little bit of sadness only for the mere fact that my 7-year-old was making big decisions on her own. But obviously an abundant amount of pride that they were good decisions. I felt an overwhelming amount of gratitude that God heard my prayers. I am so proud of both for accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I continue to pray that they turn to Him during trials and during joy and that they, too, see how unconditional His love is for us.
