to my 11 year old daughter on the day she chose to get baptized: 3 thoughts from mumsy

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Dear Ella,                                                                                                                     

Remember the song we used to listen to and laugh at from TANGLED? The one that goes,"Mother knows best. Take it from your Mumsy"? Well, as you are figuring out as you head into your tween years, "Mumsy" doesn't always know best. In fact, Mumsy has to apologize sometimes when she gets distracted or just flat out gets things wrong. In fact, she knows she must continue to point you to smarter people when she doesn't know the answers to your many, great and insightful questions.  As you once put it so well several years ago, to many questions, the only ones who may have the actual answer are "Google and Jesus". Hahaha. You make me laugh so much. And your giggle I am convinced is one of the best sounds I will get to hear this side of Heaven.

What are my 3 thoughts for you as you choose to get baptized today? Well, a little hint: Each thought goes with one item in the picture above (which are your gifts today with this letter). The doggy slippers. The Sunglasses. The "Ella"-phant Necklace (OK, I couldn't resist. Insert first giggle at how goofy and weird mom is RIGHT here). ;)

1)  WHEREVER YOUR FEET WANDER, YOU'LL NEVER WANDER ALONE. (Doggy Slippers)

As we talked about a few times, baptism is a choice you make to show others something that God has already done in you. It doesn't save you, only Jesus does. It doesn't make you right with God, only believing in Jesus' life, death and rising again has that power.

I saw these slippers and thought of you, first, because you are my crazy dog lover girl! Secondly, it made me think of how baptism really is saying that you are at a starting line with God. Not that you know or understand everything completely, but more that you believe and are now going everywhere you go with God guiding your steps. 

I know we talked about it, but don't forget, when Jesus went back up to Heaven, he didn't leave us alone and that is suuuuch good news!! When you said,"Yes, I believe in you", you were given the Holy Spirit to come live inside you. To guide you not just in where you should go or what is your next best choice to make in life, but to be God's power in you! That may seem like a bit of a mystery now-but little by little you will discover how amazing that really is. As the Hillsong UNITED song we like- "Oceans" - says so well:

 

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

 

2)  WHATEVER YOU SEE WILL BE COLORED BY THE LENSES YOU WEAR. (Sunglasses)

As Pastor Dan said today, when the Gospel is real not just in your head, but in your heart-it changes EVERYTHING. This is also true about how you see the world. Did you know God made each of us with certain gifts and talents? So while you may know that you are a great organizer like your Nana or that you are a speedy gonzales like your mama (2nd giggle from you perhaps?) or a determined competitor like your Dad and Mimi, there are also spiritual gifts that God gave YOU for HIS glory. Glory meaning that you use these gifts that people would come to know, worship and give their lives to Him. 

God gave you these special gifts, that, in my experience, you may not even know you have until He decides it is time to show them to you. As you grow in your faith, you will begin to feel more and more that you are looking at the world through different lenses, or in a different way, than other people around you. You must never let that cause you to feel that you are better than anyone else, but always remember the Bible verse I showed you in Ephesians 2:8-9:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; 

it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 

So, the closer we get to God (as we get to know Him better), the more our lenses change. But one of the most beautiful things that happens is that you realize you will never and were never meant to have everything figured out-God...life... even things like how well you know the Bible. The more you get to know God, the more you see your need for Him. You will learn that being a Christian isn't about growing how much you can say that you know, but more about knowing that in life you must depend on Him! It's how He made us and He is the only one we can always depend on no matter what.

Your "walk" with God as some call it will show you that loving the people God has placed around you, being kind to every human being no matter if they are different from you or the same, and being open for God to use you in His greater story will make you see every part of your life differently. Don't be afraid to be different and know that God has BIG plans set out for you-you just simply make yourself available to walk into them! 

3) NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, REMEMBER YOUR BAPTISM, (Elephant Necklace)

There's a saying that elephants never forget because they are animals that actually have an incredible ability to remember. 

I know that you are at the beginning of some years that will be full of ups and downs as you go through middle and high school years. There will be days where you will see that everyone is searching for who they are. Are they cool? Are they smart? Are they into sports? Are they pretty? People will try to define who you are with their labels, but you always have the decision whether to listen to them or not. 

In being baptized, you were saying to everyone that who you are in Christ and becoming who He created you to be is the road you're on. That's why they call it becoming a "follower" of Jesus-because now you are in a lifelong game of Follow The Leader. So, when people-friends, family, teachers...even me-try to tell you who to be (and they will), remember your baptism. It was a symbol of how He is now your identity and if you continue to pursue him as He has pursued you...oh man, you are in for such cool stuff! 

There is no greater joy in life than to be an active part of what God is doing to save and heal and lift up this crazy world we're in. And as one of your recent favorite songs said:

There's no space that His love can't reach

There's no place where we can't find peace

There's no end to Amazing Grace

I love you so much. You're my bunny rabbit even when you don't want to be called that anymore. As your mom, I have no bigger dream than to see you walk into whatever God has for you and to see you grow to love Him more than anyone or anything. I think you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen and I count it a big privilege to have God entrusted you to me as your "Mumsy".

Love Always,

Mom