Shannon's Baptism

“Baptism is a sign to God, to angels, and to heaven that we do the will of God, and there is no other way beneath the heavens whereby God hath ordained for man to come to Him to be saved, and enter into the kingdom of God, except faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, and baptism for the remission of sins, and any other course is in vain; then you have the promise of the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Joseph Smith Jr.


I can think of no better place to start than with the baptism of our little Shan. She was baptized on her birthday which Shan thought was really cool. We let her make all the plans, and she definitely knows what she likes. From the talks given by Grandpa Dermody and myself, to the songs, the witnesses, the pianist, the flowers, the dress, and right down to the desserts, she had a vision of what she wanted. It was fun to plan all the details with her and then rewarding to watch her take it all in on her special day.
This makes two out of our three kids that have been baptized. Sobering thought. For me, it was the last time to welcome a dripping, cleansed, and shivering child of mine into a towel in the dressing room located to the side of the font. Next time, Sean will exit with Bill into the men's dressing rooms, and then Bill will get to experience one of my favorite times with our son. It's bittersweet to think about although I am happy for this time they will share together. (Should be a bit comical too since they will both be wet! Lol.)
I enjoyed that quiet moment with Shannon, just the two of us, as I dried her off and helped her change into her baptism dress, tied the bow just right in the back, and then combed and dried her hair. It was a moment to ask if she could feel the spirit and to see what she was thinking and how she was feeling. It was a moment to look into her sweet little face and tell her that I love her and let her know how proud I am of her choice to be baptized. It was a moment I will never forget. Surely it is moments like this when heaven and earth collide.
Bill gave her the gift of the Holy Ghost. He always does such a great job. He is submissive to the spirit and phrases his thoughts and promptings well. It was a beautiful prayer and of course too special to write here. It was just a wonderful time, and the whole night including, but not undervaluing, the time shared with our family and ward family and friends was priceless.