“Tara Lee Ulrich, you are a baptized child of God; whatever else you are; remember that you are that; for that is the basis of whatever else you are.” These very words are on a wall hanging I received from my seminary advisor. These words would stare back at me every day as this sat in my office. Now this wall hanging is packed away in a box waiting for its new home. These words are a reminder of God’s Baptismal promises for all of us.

In the midst of my own uncertainty, in these days, I’ve gone searching for moments of calm and peace in the midst of my day. Yesterday I drove to the Scandinavian Heritage Park. As I walked around, I found promises of new life and felt water splashing on me as the wind blew it back onto me. One of my favorite pictures was one of the first pictures I took there. It was a close up of water splashing to and fro. This picture has been replaying in my mind and I find myself opening the photo album on my phone to simply stare at that picture. Something about this picture is speaking to my heart and soul.

Do you ever feel like your well has run dry? Or that all of a sudden it’s bursting forth? In these days, I’m finding that my well isn’t completely dry, but it also isn’t bursting forth either. I find myself searching for the lifegiving water that only Christ can give. The water that is continually pouring light, love and hope on us. This water that almost 38 years ago was poured out on my forehead as I was claimed in the waters of Baptism and given a new name “child of God.”

I’ll admit that in these days of uncertainty, it is super easy to question my own gifts. Yet the truth is that God calls and claims each of us as beloved children. There are more days than I care to admit that I forget that. But yesterday as I stood near the water fall at the park, a light breeze blowing the water back against me, I found myself clinging to the promise of those same Baptismal waters that claimed me as a child of God. Because the truth is that this is something that I (and you) cannot break. It is a promise that is there for all of us.

In the words of beloved author Ann Voskamp in her book The Broken Way, “The warming rain comes delivering life and common grace keeps falling regardless.” In other words, it’s the life giving water of Christ that continually reigns down and reminds us all that no matter who we are, we are always first and foremost beloved children of God. And that’s a promise I can cling to just like water splashing against every fiber of my being. Because sometimes when your faith is shaken, that’s all one can cling too.

Im linking up with these lovely ladies: Kelly and the Ra Ra linkup, Holly and Testimony Tuesday, Jennifer and Tell His Story, Holley and Coffee for your Heart, and Kristin and Porch Stories.