Minnie Mouse Shirt

Minnie Mouse Shirt

  We pulled up to the white church, steeple standing tall and strong.  The cross was the reason I was here, the reason I was an 11 year old Christian girl.  Warren Woods Nazarene Church was my childhood home, my resting place.  Friendly greetings and “godly sugaring” powdered upon our entrance through the welcoming doors.  I would run up the ramp on the right hand side of the stairs, charging towards a spirit filled message.  I was running towards comfort, to the true meaning of life.  I remember the golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.  They were like aurous angels hovering over pews and altar.  There is nothing else that would suffice.  Everything is meaningless without God.  His love for us is everlasting.

  “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” Ecclesiastes 1:2

Warren Woods was marked on our ‘life calendar’ every Sunday and Wednesday.  My dad would rush home from work many Wednesdays to fellowship and be a man after God’s own heart.  My mom would multi-task.  She’d throw a sandwich together for my dad and throw “Let’s get ready!” words through the living room.  I would wrap myself in my church ‘girl scout’ sash.  Caravan was the name of our scout team.  It was navy blue and had little patches sewn on of accomplishments.  I was proud to wear my trophy.  Wednesday evenings were filled with laughing children and loyal friends.  I cherish those molding Wednesdays, those growth evenings.

There was a moment in time in my life that my heart changed forever.  I decided one day when I came of age (11 years old and very quiet) I asked God into my heart.  At that second, He was truly my Father and my friend till the end.  God has forged me into the woman I am today.  God is my life, my sanctuary.  I’ve definitely had tinkering troubles and hardships like everyone does in their life, but my hope is in the Lord.  I keep running the race with endurance like Secretariat running length after length.  I want to run and kick up dust behind me.  I want to leave evil back at the starting gate.  I want to not only finish the race, I want to win by 31 lengths like powerful Secretariat.  My next step to receive victory…baptism.

I was ready to surrender all, heart and soul.  My astute and rooted Pastor called me to the cleansing water, the water we thirst for.  Pastor Mellish, took my hand and lead me to my new life.  He said strongly, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”  I sprang up in my Minnie Mouse shirt letting out a refreshing breath.  Everyone clapped with joy.  The joy of knowing a sheep has been washed white as country snow.  You feel like a snow that has just lit on the ground, soft and glistening in the light.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.  Psalm 51:7

I then took a solid stance in front of my family and friends to give a testimony.  I forgot exactly what I said, but I was nervous as a fainting goat!  So, sweet Pastor Mellish had to remind me to thank God.  Yes, I was that scared.  In the end, I knew why I gave my life to the Lord.  I am now a 29 year old woman.  I have tasted bitter trials since my easy pink childhood days.  I have rode down rocky roads on horseback.  I have fought tribulations that involve loss.  Oh, but how sweet Jesus is.  He is my rock, my refuge, and my strength.  He has been my restoring creek.  From that baptizing moment I bloomed like a Dogwood.  Loss of my dad has been my biggest ‘Pikes Peak’ to climb, but with God he has given me rope and anchors.  With Him ALL things are possible.  My Minnie Mouse shirt was sopped up with a creature anew.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17