By Nicole Cotter
There’s Nothing Like Being a Dad
We wanted to hear from a dad this Father’s Day. So we reached out to Ryan Stare, who baptized one of his daughters at our most recent baptisms. This is what he had to say:
The conversation with Sophie about baptism actually began during Church in The Park last summer. When all the people began getting baptized she asked if she could go up and get baptized too. My wife and I wanted to be sure that she knew what it meant and that she wasn’t doing it on a whim. After asking her a couple questions we decided that she should wait till we were sure she knew the importance of baptism and what it means.
Fast forward to one month ago. We were at home talking about the upcoming baptisms at White Rock and she asked again. I asked her to write a short paragraph explaining what being baptized would mean to her. I figured if she actually took the time to write about it I’d know she was serious and also that I’d get a sense of her understanding of it. Well, that evening I was blown away when she asked me if she could read what she had written. The depth of her understanding and the effort she had put into it showed me that she was ready.
Being able to baptize my daughter was so special to me. Having walked the journey to this point with her and then standing in the ocean looking at my little girl take this step of faith……words can’t describe it. It will be a bond that we share forever. I can’t forget what she said to me when she came out of the water and said, “Dad, I feel like a new person!” She’s 9-years-old — so powerful.
My favourite part of being a father is watching my three little girls grow into these amazing people and how God made them each so unique. Seeing how they make decisions and trying to guide them into knowing God for themselves. Laughing with them when things are hilarious, helping them when they make mistakes, and comforting them when they are hurting. There is nothing in this world quite like being a dad. It’s so powerful.
-Ryan Stare