Yesterday, we dedicated our son to the Lord. In case you're not familiar with what a dedication is, I'll explain. I found the following description in our dedication package:
The act of dedicating children to the Lord was a common practice of blessing among the people of God in both the Old and New Testament periods. In addition, it was also a statement of recognition on the part of the parents that their child really belonged to God. A dedication is not the importation of salvation upon a child, but rather a public expression of faith and commitment on the part of the part of the parents, and of blessing on the part of God through His church. The act by the parents is a prayerful declaration of their stewardship over God's gracious gift to them. It is also their pledge to do all they can, as God gives them wisdom, to raise their child to respect and honor God and to love and serve Jesus Christ.
As far as baptisms go, we believe that the act of being baptized is a public declaration of a personal decision to follow Christ. All over the New Testament it says, "Believe and then be baptized." So we will wait until Kyle is old enough to decide for himself if he first would choose to believe in Jesus and accept him as his Lord and Savior, and then choose when and where to make that profession of faith in the form of a baptism. While we will teach our son the truths of God's Word, someday Kyle will have to decide for himself whether or not to believe and be baptized. In the meantime, we dedicate Kyle to the Lord, asking for His blessing over Kyle's life and dedicate ourselves to the spiritual raising of him. Heaven knows, we'll need a lot of help! :)
Sunday was a gorgeous, day-after-the-rain kind of day. We had our fingers crossed that it would rain on Saturday like it was supposed to, and for once, the rain came when the forecast said it would. Over 50 guests joined us for the church service where the ceremony would take place and then followed us over for a picnic at a beautiful park Rudy and I have loved riding our bikes through. We felt so honored by the presence and support of so many of our family and friends. We believe it takes a village to raise a child, and we're so thankful for the villagers among us both near and far that are already a big part of Kyle's little life. :)
Below is a slide show of our day. If you click on any picture you can enter the album and see the photos in a larger format with written captions.
Happy Dedication Day, son! We love you, PRAISE God for you, and ask for His mighty hand to protect and keep you all the days of your life.
With love,
Dad and Mom
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