OAK HILL, WV (WOAY) – One Oak Hill family scheduled the trip of a lifetime to Israel and then had to cancel it because of COVID-19.
The plan was to have their eight-year-old son, David Bigelow, baptized in the Jordan River, and even though that plan fell through, they were able to still do it in the comfort of their own home having what they call a “bathtub baptism.”
David was going to wait but as the Bigelows were participating in their church service at home on Easter Sunday, he felt compelled to do it that day.
“My sister, Faith, said, ‘David should get baptized in the bath tub.’ I thought about it and I was like, ‘That’s a good idea,'” David laughed. “So then all that day I was excited because I didn’t know what time we were going to have it and finally they said seven, and then when it was seven I was so excited that I ran into the bathroom.”
Alongside his father, Brian, and the rest of his family, David was immersed into the water as a symbol of his faith.
“You know, it’s not so much about the physical location. We missed out on being in Israel at the Jordan River, but it is about what’s taking place in your life and in your heart,” Brian Bigelow said.
Even though they couldn’t do this in the Jordan River, they still had a little piece of it as a family friend sent over a bottle of the river’s water which was then sprinkled on his head.
As his mother, Melissa Bigelow, watched on and live streamed to Facebook, she couldn’t help but be proud of his young, bold and innovative profession of faith.
“He just has a real passion and love for God, and so we’re just very, very thankful. He’s just a special kid, and we really hope that he’ll live his whole life serving the Lord,” Bigelow said.
And that’s his plan as David’s dream is to not only become a member of the Coast Guard but to become a minister as well.
“Because I just want to help people love God,” David said.
You can watch the entire baptism by clicking here.
