A couple weeks ago we stood in front of our church and dedicated our 6 month old baby boy. (Yes, that is why I hardly ever post a new blog these days - who has time to sit and write, with a 3 year old and a 6 month old?). The dedication was sweet and meaningful and good. We were asked to say a few things about Monkey, and of course being nervous, I didn't say what I really wanted to. So here it is.
Monkey is my sweet boy, who loves to cuddle. He loves to be right against my heart, and sleeps most peacefully tucked against me. He also is so ready to be big! He's wanted to stand upright almost since he was a newborn infant, and loves to look and watch big sister Bumble Bee and all the things she can do. His laugh melts my heart, and he responds most to funny noises and faces. He loves when I blow raspberries at him, or make squeaking sounds. He's getting into blocks and will sit upright for long periods. He's also getting around by rolling pretty well, and I have to keep my eye on him more carefully.
As I thought about what it means to dedicate a child, it carries much more meaning for me now than it did when we dedicated Bumble Bee. We believe baptism should come upon a person's confession of belief in Jesus, so we don't baptize a baby, but instead we dedicate them to God. We stand and acknowledge that this child is a creation of God, given to us as a gracious gift to enjoy and train up into a man or woman after God's own heart. But really, beyond dedicating the child, we are once again standing to dedicate ourselves. Dedicate ourselves to follow Jesus in our parenting, to pray for his wisdom and patience and kindness.
Parenting is the most humbling thing I have ever done. As Bumble Bee is now 3 and we are experiencing more of the character-forming part of parenting now, I am brought low pretty much every day.
I come to the end of myself so quickly.
Me, alone, in my strength - I can't get very far.
I need Jesus. I need his Spirit inside me to help me see the heart inside the child who is whining and crying because I am making her wear pants underneath her dress in 40 degree weather.
So we dedicate ourselves to continue to love Jesus, to seek him, to pray, to read Scripture, to be with his people and to invite him into our family life. We dedicate our children because they belong to Jesus and he has a plan and purpose for their life that we get to participate in as their parents. We dedicate the whole of parenting, because our end goal is that our children would know Jesus - and that is a task no human parent can achieve without the Spirit.
Jesus, help me be a mom who points my children to you.
