It hadn’t been long before Jessica Valentina realized my frequent visits at The Potter’s House church would become permanent. I’d been searching in hopes of finding comfortability, and soon concluded that God was calling me to get uncomfortable. After months of membership I decided I wanted to be baptized, but they’d never baptized someone wheelchair bound before, at least not to the extent of my prognosis. To ensure safety I’d say they were a bit hesitant, almost reluctant and desired a different approach than the formal baptism of submerging one under the water, understandably so. But I was eager to do it the way I’d always known it to be done, regardless of my physical state. They obliged, hesitantly, not fully aware of how they’d get me into this tub of water that stood almost taller than the men standing in it. This would go down as the first time EVER for a paralyzed woman to be baptized regularly at The Potter’s House. They paraded at the fact that I stood ground and urged them to figure a way to accommodate what some call “My disability” yet I call My destiny. It was the first time they ever carried anyone from a wheelchair, to be passed over the rim to the staff standing inside, submerged, then back into their chair safely, and smoothly while the congregation watched. But they did it ! One would say we paved a new way that day. Many who caught the video I posted online of such a beautiful moment said, THANK YOU relentlessly as they too wondered as fellow wheelchair users how they would conquer such a task, some shy spoken to even ask. Nothing exceeds what he can do. Don’t ever feel too small or enabled to conquer a BIG assignment, because All and All when God says YES who can say NO!
The Potter’s House First Paraplegic Baptism
By Jessica Thomas