Shower time pearls

I discovered fairly soon after I had 4 children under 7 that time to myself didn’t happen often.  I also found out that going to the loo became a spectator sport, often sharing the room with children and several animals.  Gardening fell into the same mold.  I would go outside hoping for some peace and quiet as I declared war on weeds, only to be surrounded by small children and animals all wanting to help.

The only time I had to myself was in the shower.  That was because I had it early before anyone stirred, and because there was another adult that was easier for the children to find.  As the children got older they soon learned that I was only to be interrupted in the shower if someone was near death.

So began my habit of having my time with the Lord in the shower.  Here I prayed for my family and friends, for those I knew that needed prayer, and the like.  Here I meditated on aspects of theology.  Here I complained to the Lord about various aspects of my life and life in general.  And here I listened.  And just sometimes I was answered.

My life has changed.  The children have grown and gone, and have children of their own.  Well most of them have.  Now I have showers when it’s warmed up a bit, and when the world is well and truly awake.  I now have it on a stool with grab bars to hang onto.  But I still pray.  For my larger family and circle of friends, which has now grown to include online friends and contacts.  And more of my friends have gone to be with the Lord, but their families need prayer support.  I still complain, and I still meditate on theology.  I still listen.

This morning I was doing my normal meditating and bemoaning the fact that there are so many who think they know the truth, but they reject the Gospel, and praying that the veil would be lifted from their eyes, that they would listen to God’s voice, and I was reminded of my own journey with Him, and to Him.  I thought back to when I was first aware of Him, and I suppose I was about six.  I remember being at Sunday School in the back of the community hall.  The front was used as a library and I spent a lot of time there too!  The Church of England did not have its own building in our community, that came after I moved, so Sunday School and church were held on the hall.  I remember learning ABOUT God.  I remember learning about what I SHOULD be doing.

Several years later we moved, and again there was no local Church of England.  But right next door was the Baptist Church.  They had just built their church but not the hall yet, and Sunday School was held in a ramshackle tin shed, complete with spiders, and there started my love affair with history.  They taught me the old testament Bible stories.  I was in awe.  Years later they built a better hall, but Mum had discovered that the Church of England were now meeting in our community, in, you guessed it, a tin shed, complete with spiders.  So more old testament Bible stories, which I just loved!   I still went to the Baptists when I could, I loved that history!  The C of E eventually built themselves a hall without spiders and things became more civilised.

Through all this I was learning more ABOUT God.  By this I had a pretty good head knowledge of Him, but not really any heart knowledge.  It was still about what I thought *I* had to do to gain His favour.

It wasn’t till I was married with a couple of kids, still going to church, and also going to an interdenominational Bible study that I started to understand about God’s love.  It had been and still was a very gradual process.  He had been wooing me.  I didn’t realise that then, and it only came to me this morning that He had been.  That I was (now) a member of His Church, of His Body, that I was part of the church (ekklesia) that was His Bride.  So of course it made sense that He would woo me.  I am in awe of His love for me, for all His followers.

I am precious to Him.  I am his pearl.  My name means Pearl.

And then I thought….why was Jesus baptised?  He was a Jew.  He didn’t need to be baptised.  He was circumcised, and that’s what He needed to take part in Jewish ritual.  Why was He baptised?

I have since discussed this with Larry, so it’s not all my ideas….

He was baptised at the beginning of His ministry.  His Father, together with the Holy Spirit, announced the beginning of His mission.  He was being announced as the Messiah.
The children of Israel went through the baptism of passing through the Red Sea at the beginning of their voyage with God, just as Jesus was being baptised now in the Jordan,  at the beginning of His mission.  Type and antitype.

Baptism replaces circumcision.  Circumcision showed you belong to the Jews.  Baptism shows you belong to Christ.

Awesome.