Walking On Sonshine - AbbaAnais

Anais is Baptized

Anais McKinney stepped into the Water if her Urban Community's Pool.

The Pool had been opened just for baptism and previously sprinkled to become a Holy Water. Chlorine aside, no one was tempted to get baptized in the muddy lakes of the town.

It was all well with Anais anyhow, since she hadn't been to a pool yet this summer and often had the desire to go. She never got around to it until now, so she definitely saw this as a win both for the physical and spiritual in her case.

As she took of her slides and made sheepish strides down the pool's steps, she wasn't much focused on the eyes of her fellow church folk watching her than she thought she would be. Being the hypersensitive girl she was. Nope, she was more fixated on not letting the cold submerge turn her around.

In the moment, her focus and determination of getting saved in the Name of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, managed to tame the temperature wafting against her flesh.

In this time, Anais had been steadily approaching her Pastor, Willie Birmingham. He is a round Black man with a warm and content smile on his face. She imagined she was in his shoes from time to time and gathered that it must've been a blessing to baptized his Church Members for the Glory and Work of God. All the while knowing it was his calling to indeed do so by the Lord.

Anais finally made it to Pastor Willie Birmingham and his volunteer, a volunteer of the Church Home. The two guided her to turn around and positioned her for a brace of Holy Impact.

"It is a Blessing that Anais McKinney...",Was the only thing Anais heard before her senses completely dulled in anticipation for the moment she'd been looking forward to. A goofy smile was plastered on her face as she stood with her arms across her chest. Her eyes were fixated on the pool house as she attempted to ward of any panick by tapping into His Presence.

Then, they were dunking her in the water. She felt the water swarm her ears and nose, her lips being clamped shut. She pleaded against swimmer's ear after realizing she'd just went into the baptism cold turkey. She was briefly perplexed by the rush of cold water, but overall fine when they carefully pulled her up out of it.

She wiped her face and caught her breath. The water fell profusely from her dreads and face. Her oversized white tee she'd put on at last minute, now hung tightly to her skin brown skin. She was so relieved and overwhelmed in His Joy that she didn't know what to say.

So, wordlessly, she sifted through with her arms above waters. She felt at peace, knowing that'd she'd been procrastinating the steps of baptism for weeks. When the announcements of open Baptism Calls were offered in Church, she usually let fear talk her into 'waiting' for next summer again.

You see, she once had the zeal to get baptized as a youth. But, that's all it was a zeal. Not a true commitment and she realized that when her mom had talked her out of the decision. Whether or not she would've changed her mind, her mom had already put her foot down about the matter. And rightfully so.

Anais wasn't ready. She felt like she had to get baptized rather than actually having Faith in God to take the step. It's a small step, but big. It should never be taken lightly, is what she came to understand over the years. But, as she matured she knew then that it was only fear ruling her decision over not getting Baptized.

Fear and Fleshly circumstances.

Till she got a 'Harsh' wakeup call as a result of some of her questionable life choices. She saw no other way, but Him. She knew it was always Him, but she didn't quite know how. So, with her consent, He guided her to the How. He continues to guide her to How, similar to how he's kept her all her life.

She thought there'd be more to getting baptized, like it was supposed to be some extravagant event. But, to say the least, Anais was relieved that it turned out to be this quaint event. It reflected His Still Small Voice and the fact that He Is also a God of Subtleness.

All the jitters of anxiety was gone in an instant, now that'd she fully surrendered to Him. She surrendered to Yahweh not only in her physical, but in her Soul and Spirit.

Her pride is all in Him.

Anais Mckinney is New & Saved Woman now. She's ready to Walk for Christ and not the World. No doubt about it.

Abba's Love Says it All.

Acts 2:38-39

Christian Standard Bible

³⁸ Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

³⁹ For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

1 Peter 3:21-22 (CSB)
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge[l] of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.