We had a wonderful day at church yesterday. We had a Baby and Child dedication service. (Or as LadyBug puts it "we got marry-cated") For anyone not familiar with this it does not have anything to do with the children's salvation. Rather it is a covenant between the parents, church and God. The parents agree that the child will be raised in a Godly home and they will do everything they can to ensure good influences that will guide them towards a relationship with Christ. The church members agree to be supportive prayer partners that will help the parents in providing Godly role models. I have not listed all the promises made but that is the main point of it all. We had many young families take part in this, including us. It was particularly touching to me that with The FisherMan leading the service I would have been standing alone. The GuitarMan chose to stand in for his dad. Our little ones are so blessed to have not only such a wonderful, loving daddy but also this caring, protective brother of theirs.
It is overwhelming when you think of what goes into being a Godly parent. Like the FisherMan said in his sermon, it takes more than just loving that child and providing for them. Anyone, Christian or not, can do that. But when you realize that everything you do should be steering that precious child's life towards the Lord it puts everything in a new light. Self-examination should be a constant in our lives anyway but when you realize there is a little life watching you so closely....well, it takes more than saying "Don't be like me. I want better for you." It takes being better.
It has been said that God equips those He calls. When you become a parent it is much bigger than a biological event. It is God calling you to a life-changing, life-long relationship. I want to know I am making the most of that relationship. Childhood is so fleeting. Yet it is a steady, gradual building of an adult person. Mothers, Fathers, you are called to build that person to be their best. And as much as we want the best of everything for our children it's not all about the monetary best. Riches mean nothing when you are spiritually empty. I have personally seen people sit in their beautiful mansions and weep uncontrollably because they felt so alone. So as parents we must rely on God to do the equipping so we can fulfill the calling to parenthood. We need to be ever mindful of the legacy we are leaving behind. Years from now I may not be remembered but will the values and beliefs I helped instill in my children still be alive? Sobering thoughts. Overwhelming thoughts.
It is overwhelming when you think of what goes into being a Godly parent. Like the FisherMan said in his sermon, it takes more than just loving that child and providing for them. Anyone, Christian or not, can do that. But when you realize that everything you do should be steering that precious child's life towards the Lord it puts everything in a new light. Self-examination should be a constant in our lives anyway but when you realize there is a little life watching you so closely....well, it takes more than saying "Don't be like me. I want better for you." It takes being better.
It has been said that God equips those He calls. When you become a parent it is much bigger than a biological event. It is God calling you to a life-changing, life-long relationship. I want to know I am making the most of that relationship. Childhood is so fleeting. Yet it is a steady, gradual building of an adult person. Mothers, Fathers, you are called to build that person to be their best. And as much as we want the best of everything for our children it's not all about the monetary best. Riches mean nothing when you are spiritually empty. I have personally seen people sit in their beautiful mansions and weep uncontrollably because they felt so alone. So as parents we must rely on God to do the equipping so we can fulfill the calling to parenthood. We need to be ever mindful of the legacy we are leaving behind. Years from now I may not be remembered but will the values and beliefs I helped instill in my children still be alive? Sobering thoughts. Overwhelming thoughts.
It sounds like a wonderful service. I really enjoyed the comment about the money and riches. I traded an aspiring career to raise my little ones and I am grateful but there are times when we need to be reminded that raising our kids means more than providing financially for them. Blessings
ReplyDeleteHi Lorrie: Welcome! You are so right about being reminded. There's plenty out there to discourage us in our journey as parents but praise God He IS our encouragement!
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