Recently I was asked to speak at a baptism for my sweet eight year old friend Jake. This is the transcript of what I told the friends and family that had come to support this awesome little man.
Dear Jake,
I asked your mom what kind of motorized transportation you like the best. She thought that airplanes were your favorite so today I am going to talk about how baptism is like an airplane.
Airplanes have not been around very long, they were invented a little over a hundred years ago. They were invented because people saw the need to travel faster and more directly than what had currently existed. Airplanes require a lot of skill to both build and to fly them. You have spent the last eight years in spiritual pilot school, learning about Jesus Christ. One of the titles for Jesus is "the Master Builder." Together you two have built a trusty craft that can help you return to him and that is called baptism.
To get a plane off the runway you need fuel. One new plane is called the "Solar Impulse" and it is powered by the sun. It converts sunlight into fuel to fly the plane. This year the builders of the solar plane tried to fly it all the way around the world. They almost made it except the plane had sustained damage to it's batteries. They were forced to re-evaluate and return to home base. They will try again next year to complete the world-wide flight.
There are three things you and this solar plane have in common.
1. Just like a solar plane gets it's energy to fly from the sun, we need to rely on the SON of God to fill up our testimony tank. Without him we will never get off the runway. We need to learn to be filled with his power and rely on his strength to keep us going.
2. Sometimes life will get very hard. We will need to rely on our back-up batteries. Those batteries are our good friends and family. The problem with a plane powered by light is, there are sometimes storms, grey skies and there will certainly come very dark nights. When our life gets so hard that we can't find the light, we will need to have good batteries to back us up. Make good friends that will remind you of your source of power when all seems dark. We know you were meant to fly and we will try and encourage and support you.
3. If you can't make it, return to home base.
The Solar Impulse plane didn't make it all the way because the batteries were damaged. Instead of trying to risk a crash, or giving up all together, the crew decided to return to home base. Jake, if the skies seem dark and you have no friends and family to rely on.... remember to return to home base. You built your testimony with the help of the "Master Builder" and if things are not working out, remember to return back to him. Your family and friends are on their own journeys as well and sometimes they might fail to be there for you. He will ALWAYS be there if you go to him. Even if you have to go back to square one and re-build your plane from the ground up. Remember, the one who created you, is on this journey with you! Don't ever give up.
I am so proud of you and this choice you have made. Try to keep your travels light, don't pick up any unnecessary baggage like sins or addiction along the way. Please do all you can to make sure you are being constantly nourished by the Son of God.
I am proud of you and I love you. I leave these thoughts with you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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