A Spark of Life
I don't even want to do this, it's complete bullshit. I mean washing my sins away, being born again. How stupid can you be?”
“I don’t know, Babe. Maybe it’s not that bad. All they’re really going to do is dunk you into some water and say a few prays over you. You’ll live.”
“I know I’ll live. I just have better things to do. I want to be back home at my Dad’s house. I want to be with you.”
“I want to be with you too, Babe. Just two more weeks and we’ll be back together.”
“God, I can’t wait.”
“Me either, Babe.”
“Okay, I got to start getting ready, practice putting on my happy
face. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Call me tonight?”
“For sure.”
She hung up the phone and began putting her dress on. She was about to start applying her usual amount of makeup when she recalled what she was getting ready for. She opted to put on a bit of eye makeup, or otherwise she was afraid it would all run and she would look bad. “It’s not like I’m impressing anyone today. Just a bunch of old people.”
She finished getting ready and went downstairs. Her mom was sitting at the table finishing up her coffee.
“Good morning, Sunshine.”
“Morning, Mom.”
“You hungry?”
“No. I think I’ll wait until lunch. Are we still having everyone over?” “Yep.”
“Great.” She sat down and took the last drink of her mother’s coffee. Her mother glared at her for a second and then rolled her eyes.
“Well, let’s get on our way. God knows it’s embarrassing to be late there. They always stare at you when you walk in, like you’re some murderer or something.”
He was standing over the small pool at the front of the worship center. He noticed a bit of algae at the bottom. “I better clean that later on.” He knelt down and reached to the side of the pool where he turned a switch. A slight humming sound came from the bottom of
it. Then it went away. “If they would stop turning the pump off, then this wouldn’t be an issue, now would it?”
He looked at his watch and realized what time it was. He quickly made his way down past the pews and to the door. He unlocked and propped them open. He then went into the lobby area, or “greeting room” as he like to refer to it, as and propped the front doors open. He waited for a few minutes as the congregation started to pour in. He greeted as many as he could.
“Good morning.”
“Nice to see you.”
“How is your granddaughter?”
“Mom, what time do you think this is going to be over?” She exhaled.
“It won’t be that long, just a normal service. Look, there are your grandparents, talking to the Brother Mike.” The two began to walk towards the front of the church. “He is so passionate about his ministry. You know, he started this church from the ground up. A true blessing.”
“Good morning Brother Mike.”
“Charlotte. So good to see you. Hey, Becky. Are you excited about today?”
“I sure am. I got up extra early this morning, too.”
“Glad to hear it. I love seeing youth like yourself taking this next step. You’re going to remember this day for the rest of your life. I know I remembered mine.”
“Grandbaby, come here.” She walked towards the older couple with the biggest smile she could muster up. She never really liked seeing her grandparents. They hugged her too much and smelt like old people. “Are you nervous?”
“A little. But I think I’ll be okay.”
“If y’all will please excuse us, Becky and I have to go to the front and get ready. If you want, you can wait with Becky in the back as I open the service.”
“We’ll just wait in the pews. We want to get some good pictures.” “Follow me, Becky.”
The two walked into the worship center, up the pews, and towards the back of the room. They went through a door and into another room that looked like a dressing room. “You can change in here. I’ll be back in few minutes.” He walked out and went to the front of the congregation. “May we bow our heads in prayer.”
She had changed into some jeans and a t-shirt and then put on a robe that had been laid out for her in back of the dressing room. She felt nervous all of a sudden. She didn’t know why or really cared to know. She began to pace around the room. There were pictures on the wall of everyone who had been baptized before her. There were people of all ages. They were all wet in the pictures. “Great. I’m glad I didn’t wear that much make-up. I hope what I do have on doesn’t ruin.”
The door opened, and Brother Mike walked though. She could hear the choir singing some hymn in the background. “We have a minute or two before we start. Do you have any questions for me?”
“Not really.”
He smiled and then slipped on a robe similar to hers. “I’m really glad that you have decided to give your life to God. This is the best decision that you will ever make. If you don’t mind my asking, what made you want to do this today?
Her heart started to beat. She had no real answer other than that her mother told her to do this before her grandparents died. She tried not to look around. She tried to focus on him and think of something good. “I just felt that I have been getting in touch with my religious side lately, and I’ve been talking to God a lot also, so I figured now was the best time, ya know?”
“That’s good. Like I said earlier, it’s good to see someone your age take this next step in their life. Do you mind if we say a quick prayer before we go out there?”
“Not at all.”
He had begun the prayer, and all she could think about was how much of a liar she was. She felt so bad for what she just did.
“ . . . and may you watch over Becky and help guide her through this time in her life. Be with her as she makes these hard and life- changing decisions, and help her show her fellow youth how great your power is. In your Son’s name we pray, amen.”
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
He smiled at her once again as he headed for the door. She was right behind him. As the two walked out and headed to the small pool, she noticed that her grandparents were smiling and had a camera ready to start taking pictures. Her mother had a half smile but wore the same placid look on her face as she always did. “If you just want to step down in there for me, I’ll be right behind you.”
She tensed up her shoulders as she stepped into the water. It was surprisingly cold.
“Yeah there isn’t a heater, sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
He stepped in behind and the two faced the congregation. “Today is a special day for the seventeen year-old Becky Rickman. She gave me a call last Tuesday and expressed to me how she wanted to be baptized. I was honored that she asked me to do this for her. I’ve known her for about four years now, and I hear about her every Sunday from her wonderful grandparents, John and Judy Slader.
He spoke more on how he knew Becky and her family and how proud he was of her. All Becky could think of was how cold the water was. She thought that it was getting even colder. She did, however, begin to feel bad for lying this whole time. She knew that she wasn’t ready to take this step in her life. She believed in God and all but wasn’t the best Christian in the world.
“Becky, because of the profession of faith that you have made in the Lord Jesus Christ, I am honored to baptize you, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” He covered her mouth and nose with her hand and dunked her into the water. Just at that moment when brought her back up to her feet, the water pump in the pool began to short out. A surge of electricity ran through pipes and into the pool.
A confused look came across Becky’s face as Brother Mike began
to convulse. His body started to tighten up. Becky gave out a blood- curdling scream as she swiftly jumped out of the small pool. His body ceased shaking and he fell limp, face first into the pool.
The whole congregation stood up and gasped.
“Some call 9-1-1!”
Becky’s mother ran towards her with while tears fill her eyes. Becky looked at the body in shock. The only thing that she could think was why. Why would this man, the man that was washing her sins away, be taken from this world? And why now? Why at that moment was he taken?