Dedication

A week before Westley turned one we participated in the Baby Dedication Ceremony at church. It was sweet and simple. Just right. Westley got all smiley and hammed it up when we stood up front and he saw all those faces of all the people looking his way. It was adorable and I'll never forget it.

• Do you today recognize your child as a gift of God and give heartfelt thanks for God's blessing?

• Do you now dedicate your child to the Lord who gave him to you, surrendering all worldly claims upon his life in the hope that he will belong wholly to God?

• Do you pledge as parents that, with God's fatherly help, you will bring up your child in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, making every reasonable effort, with patience and love, to build the Word of God, the character of Christ and the joy of the Lord into his life?

• Do you promise to provide, through God's blessing, for the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs of your child, looking to your own heavenly Father for wisdom, love and strength to serve them and not use them?

• Do you promise, God helping you, to make it your regular prayer that, by God's grace, your child will come to trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins and for the fulfillment of all His promises to them, even eternal life; and in this faith follow Jesus as Lord and obey his teachings?

Yes. We do and we will.

I won't say that I haven't been hurt by Christians I trusted. By family who believes. I won't say that I don't have questions and that sometimes it all just seems crazy. But at the end of the day there is the undeniable truth to me that God is real. I have seen too much, I have experienced the calm and peace and supernatural strength of God. I have listened to his voice and it has led me to good things every time. I can tell Westley about that. I can tell him that he is no mistake. I can tell him that he is loved deeply by something greater than him and me and everything around us. I can tell him this and I will do my best to show him this in the everyday life we live as a family.

Westley
I pray,
Wisdom.
Grace.
and a soft and open heart towards your Father.
In Jesus' name.

Amen.