Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Christian Baptism (10/18/07)
-
TITLE: The Day Daisy Dawkins Got Dunked | Previous Challenge Entry
By Kenneth Bridge
10/21/07 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
But when word went out that Daisy Dawkins had accepted the Lord and was tradin’ in her tight skirts and bright lipstick for a Bible and more modest ways I didn’t see no future in sinnin’ in our little town. Some of the church ladies seemed doubtful, and the young men disappointed, but this seventeen year old lovesick boy saw an opportunity to get up close to the prettiest lady in four towns and maybe become more than a friend as I growed up and came into my own. But I had to play my cards right and jump on the chance early.
So next Sunday morning I went forward when Pastor Virgil gave his altar call and I prayed the prayer I’d been hearin’ all my life. Everybody was makin’ such a fuss, I felt a bit guilty that maybe my reasons weren’t all right, but the truth is I did believe what I prayed and there wasn’t no guarantee that after givin’ up my chance at excitin’ sin I would get any such bonus as I’d hoped for.
Well a whole bunch of young men started getting’ saved at the same time, and a bunch of young ladies followed. It was a regular little revival and Pastor Virgil decided he needed to start baptizin’ quicklike and announced that next Sunday after church we’d be baptizin’ down by Lassiter Creek. This would be the first of April, and the water would still be mighty cold, with lots of snowmelt from the mountains pushin’ the current right along.
Well the sun come up on a beautiful spring day with little white clouds frolickin’ like lambs in the blue sky, and butterflies flittin’ around the bright new flowers. I already felt cleaner than I could ever remember. Pastor Virgil introduced us all and we prayed and then waded into the creek. I don’t never remember seein’ Lassiter creek so high. You couldn’t see any rocks and the water was brown with mud roiled up from the bottom. I watched a couple branches go floatin’ by. Well not floatin’ leisurely by exactly. It was more like gallopin'.
We put on some flowin’ white choir robes and stepped into the rushin’ water. It bit like some kind of icy snake and my legs went numb before I was waist deep. Pastor Virgil had the shivers and his lips were turnin’ purple so he decided to get everybody in for a quick dunkin’. As we pushed out deeper to make room, Daisy let out a whoop as her feet got pushed out from under her by the galloping stream. She flung out a hand and grabbed my arm. I was happy and scared all at the same time as I felt my feet let go, too. I was holdin’ on to Daisy with one hand and someone else with the other and coughin’ out muddy water. I got to my feet one time and saw a whole line of us sputterin’ and slidin’ out into the middle of the rushin’ water. We thought for a moment we’d be all right when Pastor Virgil grabbed a big branch by the creekside but it broke off.
For a few minutes that seemed like forever we were battered by rocks and choked by cold water until we came to a stunned rest in a shallow pool. It’s a miracle nobody got drowned that day. We crawled out shiverin’ and people were all around givin’ us blankets. The day Daisy Dawkins and the rest of us got dunked our sins wasn’t just washed away. They was froze and pummeled and shaked, rattled and rolled away. And I thought sin would be exciting? I decided right then and there this Christian life was an excitin’ way to live.
Just a month ago Sally Young got saved and all of a sudden a whole bunch of young guys and girls are comin’ forward at my altar calls. My wife, Daisy, still the prettiest girl in four towns, doubts “that little strumpet” Sally is genuinely saved but I’ve scheduled baptism anyway. In the baptistery at Lassiter Creek Baptist Church.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
Would a line break or something be needed before the last paragraph? Some may say that the jump forward in time calls for one, but it doesn't bother me. Great story.