CONFIRMED IN GOD'S LOVE
I was bpatized as an infant; when I was a teenager, I confirmed the vows taken at my baptism.
I remember my confirmation.

But some of my friends were baptized as teenagers. I listened as these friends talked about 
their baptisms; "it felt like a ton of bricks was lifted from my shoulders!" "I never felt 
anything so incredible!" they said. But when I was confirmed, I didn't feel anything 
special.

What's wrong with me? I wondered.

My friends began to speculate. "Maybe you aren't saved," they suggested. "Maybe you're not 
even a Christian!"

I wanted to have the kind of experiences they had had. I wanted to know for sure that I was 
a Christian and that God loved me, too.

A few years later, I told a pastor about my concerns. He asked, "When did you become aware 
that your mom and your dad loved you?"

I thought this was a pretty silly question, but I replied, "I guess I've always known."

"Then why do you think your answer should be different when you're talking about God?"

My Pastor was right, I have always known that God loves me; at my confirmation, I was simply
confirming what God had whispered each and every day of my life. For some, God may have to 
scream, "I love you!" But for others, like me, God's voice is gentle: " I love you, my 
child."

Timothy K. Roberts
Misenheimer, North Carolina