First let me introduce you. He's a sleek, handsome fellow, slate gray, about 8 or 9 inches long. A black cap perches on the crown of his head and down the back of his head, almost like a cropped mane. His long tail has a rusty spot beneath it. His lady friend looks the same, and they both mew like a cat, hence, the name.
When this fellow decides he needs a bath, he plops himself into one of the water pans I put on top of the feeder posts. Because of his size, he does better in the larger one, but I have also seen him in the one that is a good 3 inches smaller in diameter. As large as he is, it's a wonder he doesn't fall out. At first, he gives a little splash, then stops and looks around. Then another splash. Then another. Finally, he begins in earnest, splashing so hard that the birds beneath him on the feeder get a shower while they eat. Any sitting on the edge of the water pan run for cover. Still he splashes. As you watch from my seat in the house, it becomes impossible to see the bird for the amount of water splashing around him, and I know I will have to refill the pans immediately after he leaves.
And then he stops. You can almost see his little heart beating in that dark gray chest as he pants in recovery. And he is soaking wet. His feathers are plastered and dark against him, his black cap mussed and plastered as well. When this bird has finished bathing, there is no doubt at all what he has been doing. He is as wet as if he had immersed himself, even though the water was only a couple inches deep.
That is exactly the way we need to immerse ourselves in our Christianity. Going to church once a week won't do it. Paying lip service to God won't do it. We are expected to fill up on the Word every chance we get, talk about it, think about, study it, and espouse it when we can. It should be second nature to mention God in our lives no matter who we are talking to. We should be using our assemblies and other church functions as our excuse to miss worldly events, not the other way around. In fact, we should be looking for other occasions to get together with Christians to study together and encourage one another. That's what it means to be a disciple of Christ and a servant of the Lord. That is the very definition of those words. I should be so immersed in the Lord and His Word that I look as wet as a catbird to my friends, neighbors, and co-workers. There should be no question in their minds exactly who I am because I not only claim it, I live it. Always.
Once upon a time you were immersed for the remission of your sins. Now it's time for another immersion. Do you need a bath today?
I have asked one thing from the LORD; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the LORD and seeking Him in His temple. (Ps 27:4).
Dene Ward