13th September - My Baptismal Day

"Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (or forgiveness) of sins" (Acts 2:38)

I have always written on my yearly, monthly goals and plans "get baptized". Throughout my spiritual journey I have always been back and forth with finding a church and getting on the right track. I have been working on my spiritual journey for a very long time and in June 2019 I found a church here in Dubai. 

My journey began way before Dubai, before Scotland before meeting Garvin, before youth groups every Friday with my friends... it has always been a burning desire to do more and be more active in my spiritual journey. My family has always been spiritual and religious, despite our different religions, we all have similar religious beliefs and it never affected each other, in terms of praying and believing in God. 

My parents baptized me in both of their faiths one day after each other when I was a baby, however it was a decision made by my parents at the time. I truly felt after everything I have been through I felt that being baptized was something I know needed to happen as an adult. 

In the year 2017, I think had to be one of my most challenging adult years but still God kept me. Despite all of my poor decision He continued to bless me, He continued to provide for me, He continued to comfort me, times when I don't think I had deserved it, God was always there. My baptismal story isn't one that was an overnight decision but a decision I knew needed to be done throughout the course of my life when I began reading the bible more and knowing God more. From as young as I can remember I have been, attending church, praying as a family, attending vacation bible school, participating in mentor-ships and dedicating time reading and getting to know God but as I grew I never gave over my life to God, until September 13th, 2019.

On the day of my baptism, I was so overjoyed and filled with emotion, whilst reading my testimony , I cried maybe 90% of the time. 

My testimony:

" I want to know God more deeply and intimately. Every new year for the past four years I have written “get baptized” as one of my goals. Every year since, has come and gone and I still had not given my life to Christ through water baptism. In 2017, I would say it was one of the hardest years of my life, I made horrible decisions and wrong choices but God still kept me. He kept me, blessed me and showered me with His love and favor. I have moved quite a lot and in that I was not able to find a church to call home. As I’ve settled and found Gatekeepers I knew that this was God. On the first day I attended Gatekeepers I was given a gift, a book, and at the time I was struggling with my purpose and my journey and shockingly this book was about “what on earth am I here for?” God has always been there for me, Jesus died on the cross for us and that is more than anything else I can ever receive. By being water baptized I would officially be a part of God’s family."

Sharing my story I hope to inspire others, I hope that someone still considering to be baptized, acknowledges that baptism is a way that God has given us to receive His gifts of salvation and cleansing. "An outward expression of an inward decision".

  

By Keiztothecity