Okay, so Thanksgiving was a couple weeks ago now, but this was tucked away in the drafts, not quite finished until now.
Happy Thanksgiving!
We're heading home after a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with both sides of our family. It's not very often that in-law families spend much time together (at least that's the case with our family). Typically we see my family or A.'s family, but not both at the same time. But this Thanksgiving was kind of special. We decided to dedicate our daughter in the presence of both sides of our family at my mother-in-law's house. We even managed to get almost everyone there either physically or by Skype and Facetime.
We had a lovely meal prepared by my wonderful mother-in-law and were able to visit and catch-up a little bit with both sides of the family. Then we had a little brief ceremony (N. was mighty cranky, of course), led by my dad, to dedicate our daughter. I also wrote this little letter to her:
Christie
Happy Thanksgiving!
We're heading home after a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with both sides of our family. It's not very often that in-law families spend much time together (at least that's the case with our family). Typically we see my family or A.'s family, but not both at the same time. But this Thanksgiving was kind of special. We decided to dedicate our daughter in the presence of both sides of our family at my mother-in-law's house. We even managed to get almost everyone there either physically or by Skype and Facetime.
We had a lovely meal prepared by my wonderful mother-in-law and were able to visit and catch-up a little bit with both sides of the family. Then we had a little brief ceremony (N. was mighty cranky, of course), led by my dad, to dedicate our daughter. I also wrote this little letter to her:
Dearest N.,
Our sweet girl, our joy, our pleasantness. We are so blessed to have you in our life. It seems so appropriate that we should dedicate your life to God on a day dedicated to thanksgiving. We thank God everyday for your bright smile, tinkling laughter and huge, wonderful personality. You have, on more than one occasion been a bright light on a dreary day. I pray that as you grow God will use you, and all of your wonderful little personality for his glory.
Dear N., understand that we will make mistakes: We will expect too much and notice too little. But, I pray that with God's help we might be able to show you his unending, never-stopping, never-giving up, always and forever Love and that you will know that love and show it to others.
Over your crib reads part of this verse from Ephesians 3: 14-18
"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. "
This truly is our prayer for you. We believe that, as you understand and truly grasp God's love, his goodness and grace, his joy and peace will flow out of you. You just won't be able to stop it. May God bless you, our sweet little girl.This weekend was important for another reason, too: It was a bit of a milestone for me. At my lowest I remember thinking about this weekend and desperately wanting to be able to be there to dedicate her life to God. I didn't think I would be able to make it any longer, though, and so I had made a plan to end my life that weekend. It was morbidly ironic, and I recognized that, but I just doubted my strength to make it through. But the weekend came and went with hardly a thought about death. So I have much for which to be thankful; my daughter, my husband, our family, my life - spared but for the grace and sustenance of our Lord - and so much more...
Christie
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