Why Dedication?

A post from my wife discussing the reasons why we will be dedicating baby Grace at church….

Why Dedication?

 

Baby dedications.  Have you ever been to one?  Usually the family gathers in front of the church congregation and they have a prayer and maybe a few comments about the baby and family raising the child to serve the Lord and someone definitely takes pictures.

In anticipation of dedicating Grace in the coming weeks (wearing, by the way, the same dress my mother and I were each dedicated in), I’ve been giving some thought to why I want to have this little ceremony and why it seems very important to me.  Here is my conclusion:

When I got married to Paul, God gave to me the gift of a relationship to steward.  There are some very specific ways I am to steward this relationship. (ie honor/respect my husband, submit to him, etc).  I made some vows in front of God and in front of other people so that I could be kept accountable for the promises I made regarding the stewardship of this relationship.  If I begin to drift from my promises, there are about 350 people who ought to take me to task over it. 

So now, God has given to us another relationship: a daughter.  Again, there are some very specific ways I am to steward this relationship.  For example, I am to raise her up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  I am to discipline her in such a way that she learns to love Godliness and hate folly.  I am to steward this gift.  So I think it is important that, once again, I get up in front of God and other people to make some vows about how I will raise this child.  The ceremony is not so much about Grace as a baby; it’s more about Paul and me as parents and about promises we will make regarding the stewardship of this amazing new relationship.  I want to be held accountable in the physical right now, because I know that I will be held accountable before God.  Something to be considered with a little trepidation, I think.

Oh yes, and someone will definitely take pictures.