Suddenly, I felt the sensation of the freezing water, like a shock to my body, taking my breath away. Early one spring, I was camping and riding my four-wheeler in Hatcher Pass. It had just snowed the night before and was beautiful yet cold out. What I thought was going to be a normal water crossing quickly turned bad as my ATV stalled in the middle of a creek much deeper than I anticipated. As the current started pushing me deeper, I had one option: jump into the freezing water, run a winch line up to something sturdy, and venture back into the water to get on the machine and winch it out. In this moment of trouble, there were many thoughts going through my head, but the loudest was that I got myself into this situation – I would get myself out. I came up with a plan, I was close enough to the road that I would wade back across the creek, walk several miles to the truck, drive back to the creek, and try to get the ATV loaded up somehow. I felt confident that as long as I kept moving quickly, I could stay warm enough to make it to the truck and warm up. Just about the time I had waded halfway back across the creek, along came someone who offered to help. I accepted his offer to pull my machine back to the road, but, turning down the offer for a ride to my truck, not wanting to inconvenience him, I started my long, cold walk.

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Now, at this point, you may already be thinking of all the lessons woven into this story, but the greatest of all came a couple miles down the road for me. You see, it was in that moment while talking to God that I felt him saying – if you can't even receive a ride from a stranger when you are in need without feeling like you have to earn it, how can you receive the gift that I have freely given you? WOW! The Lord was right! My stubbornness, my pride, and everything else that got in the way suddenly came crashing down.  

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The truth is that we can so often think we have it all figured out or maybe that there is an area of our lives that we have finally gotten it right. Yet, during the lifelong process of God transforming us, he continues to reveal the parts of us that still need fixing. In that moment, the Holy Spirit changed something in me. Receiving the gift of salvation took on new meaning.
That day, washed in the cold water of that creek, I saw receiving what can't be earned in a whole new light. As we talk about baptism, I can't help but think of the similarity in receiving what can’t be earned. What is more, this isn’t just a free ride somewhere; we are resurrected with Christ! We couldn't ever earn it, and we sure don't deserve it. All we can do is receive and respond accordingly. Go back and read today’s Scripture again; it says it perfectly.

Hopefully you won't need cold water to get your attention like I did. But wherever you are in life today, there is something that God wants to do in and through you. He is always inviting us to take another step forward. What does that look like for you? Is it for you to receive the invitation to relationship with Jesus that he is welcoming you into? Maybe you have accepted him as Lord and Savior and now it’s time to get baptized (I promise that water is warm). Are you responding to a newfound understanding of what it means that you weren't saved by your righteousness, but because of his mercy? If any of these steps resonate with you, we would love to walk with you. Call the church office at (907) 694-7741 to talk about getting baptized.