The girl photographed here is a young twentysomething completely and utterly filled with new life. New Jesus Life. She went under as her old self. A young girl caught up in the ways and habits of the world. She rose above the water, above her ashes, and above her own agenda, and surrendered her life to the One who has been in hot pursuit for her heart since the beginning of time. Out with the old, and in with the new. A new creation in Christ, she is… The old has gone, and the new has come. 

northerncreation:

The time has come; you file in. One foot will carry the other, but you must be willing to let them lead you. Men on one side then women on the other. Waves hit you only from one side, the force pulls you back then back in again. Swaying stable in your instability. Waiting for the others ahead of you to file out. You’re next. Mildly scared, yet so excited to fall, die, rise and live.
The man in the middle of the water asks why you are here. Each of us have our own reasons. Broken I am, yes. Pain I have, yes. Sin I have, yes. Lost I am, yes. I walk to him, hand outstretched, the water is above my waist and I look north viewing the heart of the city. Hello, I’m Rachelle. I am here ready to surrender my life and to follow Jesus. Taking that last dead breath in as I close my eyes. Under I go entirely enclosed. Knocked off my feet. Thank God the water wasn’t too deep. Up again through the threshold as I took my first breath of life and opened my eyes to the sun above. All the joy and love in the world couldn’t amount to how much love and joy that was actually present. He was present indeed, right along side me. That is a place He won’t dare ever leave. He loves me so, this I know. Not just because The Bible tells me so, but because He did also.
I can’t say what all went on under that river water but I can say that I now know the true meaning of my middle name. Rene - born again or rebirth.
SO AWESOME.