I am reminded of a story about the Tates Watch Company of Massachusetts, which back in the 1800's wanted to diversify their product line beyond making watches. They decided that since they already made cases for pocket watches, they would market compasses to the pioneers who were making the treacherous journey from the East Coast across the continent to the California and Oregon territories. It turned out that although their watches were of the finest quality, their compasses were so bad that people often ended up in Canada or Mexico instead of California or Oregon. The message of baptism is that in Christ the lost are found, the fallen are lifted up, the broken are healed, and the wanderers are called into Christ's community of love. No matter where you might be on you journey in life, no matter how far off the loving and good path God calls you to walk, as a person who has been washed in the waters of baptism, you have an internal compass that is always calling you back to the one who loves you more than you love yourself.
Time does indeed fly by quickly.
But as a baptized child of God, you will never ever journey through the sorrows or joys of life alone. That is your heritage. Remember always to claim it.