Dedication of children in a church....parents do it all the time. You see proud moms and dads with grandparents and whoever else standing in the front of a church with their babies and toddlers and having a dedication done.
What is a dedication you ask? A dedication is a ceremony (for lack of a better term) that is done during church in which a child is dedicated to God. The pastor and perhaps even a few Godly men will pray over the child and his or her parents during that time. However, the dedication is less about the children and more about the parent.
To me, a dedication is about the parent taking responsibility in training up their child in Christ's ways. You are saying that you will raise your children in a Christlike home, teaching them about Christ's love, and showing them how to live it out loud. You are saying that you are in it 100% to make sure that your child is raised up with Christ's love pouring over onto them, so that there is never a doubt who made them, who loved them, who gave His life for them, and who will come again for them one day. It's a bold statement to all who witness this. And those people that are there....your friends and your family? They're there to witness this commitment that you're making.
This is something I never did with either of my girls. I grew up in church and so did they, but for whatever reason, I didn't do it. And now, I'm ready to make that statement. So, on November 19th during the 6pm service at Cheyenne Hills Church, I'm going to have my 13 year old and 7 year old daughters dedicated. It's unusual to see older children up there, but when I talked to Pastor Galen about it, he said the same thing I was thinking....it's never too late. I explained to McKenna and Peyton that this is less about them and more about me. I'm making the commitment before God and a roomful of witnesses and saying that Jesus is IT for our family.
I'm inviting all of you, my friends and family that can make it to be there. I want you to hold me accountable to what I'm promising to God and my children....that we will never look back to the ways of the world. We are pressing forward with God as our foundation. I don't think I can give a better gift in my lifetime to my girls.
I also want to be there to not only hold you accountable, but to say that I'm in it with you! I support you and want to encourage you and remind myself that I'm responsible for that, as well, while in your girls' presence and just in my own life! I'm excited to be there. And now McKenna and Peyton will be old enough to remember and the meaning and importance of the day! And I imagine that will stick with them. :) I think that's awesome!
ReplyDelete