Surrender

The dedication is scheduled, dress ordered and arrived, invitations sent, and cameras ready. Now it's time to prepare my heart. I remember standing on the alter over nine years ago at Caleb's Baby Dedication. When he was born, he has some issues and stayed in the NICU a day past my release. I remember sharing my story, mic in hand, and tears flowing down my cheeks. The night I went home without my precious new baby was the true night of his dedication. The night I said, "Okay God, he's Yours! Take care of him for me." Here we are nine years later and He has. God is so faithful (even when we are not)!

Almost a decade of parenting experience later, and a Baby Dedication means even more to me. This parenting thing is not for wimps. There are moments when I think to myself, "Lock this moment in your memory, Christie," because of it's sweetness or fun. But then there are other moments when it's all by God's grace that I have barely survived the day. The amazing thing that I have realized about the day I dedicate my babies back to God - my/their Heavenly Father, my/their Creator, the Great I Am, is that I am not in this alone. Whew! What a relief that I can stand before the All-Knowing One and proclaim that very thing, and offer my sweet gifts back to Him for the purpose He created them for.

Recently, I was driving with my Mom and pouring my heart out to her in my recent parenting frustrations. She turned to me and said that people have consistently asked her what she did that both my sister and I would grow up to serve the Lord. While some would expect a parenting philosophy or form of discipline, a training method or technique - nope! Her answer is simple - prayer. "I never stopped praying for them." When she left the car I burst into tears... tears of repentance for not praying as I should, tears of relief that indeed, it's not about me... it's all about HIM.

As I stand at the alter again this weekend, dedicating my sweet baby girl back to the Lord, my heart will be thankful that I can proclaim and depend on the One who gave His life so that she can have hers to abundance.

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there." 1 Sam 1:27-28

1 Samuel 2

Hannah’s Prayer

2 Then Hannah prayed and said:

“My heart rejoices in the Lord;
    in the Lord my horn^[a] is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
    for I delight in your deliverance.

² “There is no one holy like the Lord;
    there is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock like our God.

³ “Do not keep talking so proudly
    or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
    and by him deeds are weighed.

⁴ “The bows of the warriors are broken,
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
⁵ Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

⁶ “The Lord brings death and makes alive;
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.
⁷ The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
    he humbles and he exalts.
⁸ He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor.

“For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
    on them he has set the world.
⁹ He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
    but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

“It is not by strength that one prevails;
¹⁰     those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
    the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to his king
    and exalt the horn of his anointed.”