Baptism and Resurrection Sunday

I attended services at VC yesterday.  At the end of the service I did as I always do on Baptism Sundays, I moved to the front row.  I wanted to be as close as possible to the water, to the people being baptized, to the the ones doing the baptizing.  I felt a bit like people may have felt as Jesus walked through the streets - I pressed in to get as close as I could to the place where God Himself was moving in our midst.  I sat and watched as the stream of people walked into the water and out and I did as I always do, I sat in my seat and wept.  I stretched my hand toward the waters and I prayed.  On this particular day I needed answers too.  Why God does this event touch me so deeply?  I thought first, well of course, I am filled with joy for the people (this is nice but cliche and well... kind of lame really).  I thought more and realized it was more than joy I felt.  It was a deep sense of knowing what those in the water maybe did not know.  This life they had chosen would be filled with many joys and celebrations but it would also be a difficult life with daily choices.  The need to pray for those taking this first pivotal step in their walk with God overwhelmed me.  I thought of the days ahead and of the very real hardships that lay ahead...  This first step was not the completion of God's movement but really the beginning.  As those in the water would soon learn, they had made a choice that would come with a price.  It's true, serving and loving God is not all hot fudge cake and parties, it's hard work with daily choices.   I wonder some days if I had known then about the cost, would I still have chosen this.   The answer is a resounding YES...