Tonight we had Brayden (1 year) and Liam (2.5 years) dedicated at East End Fellowship. Our speaking notes follow: There are times when life starts rolling and we find ourselves in exhausting full sprints trying to keep up. The last few years have been such a season for the Cases. Preparing for today has forced me to slow down and reflect on this journey. One of my first thoughts surrounded my embarrassment that Liam, who is nearly three had never been dedicated. I feel like we have long past the acceptable time to dedicate a child and now it is just awkward. He is nearly three after all. But then I realized God’s time.You see, Liam’s name means “protector”. Over the last year Liam has already proven to be uniquely attuned to Brayden’s needs. From the moment Liam met Brayden in the hospital. At 20 months Liam old pleaded to the nurse “don’t take my baby.” Liam is always the first to yell “Brayden needs a tissue!” Liam has proven that he is a protector. So, through God’s eyes it is actually quite fitting that Brayden and Liam are being dedicated together. Secondly, I have begun to realize that life is just different after you are forced to hold unrelenting sorrow in tension with unabated joy. Different in a good way. Deeper. Indeed the Christian journey is riddled with tensions. We must pursue meekness to be made strong. We must accept death to find life. Brayden has taught us much about this aspect of the Christian walk. Brayden’s name means “Brave Warrior” and we thought we knew his name held such meaning because his very existence was a fight worth fighting; yet, he has already shown us that his name means so much more. Brayden’s spirit and story is one that is fighting for souls and turning hearts closer to God. The unabated joy in this journey of being a parent to three pretty different and pretty special boys center on how God has used this year to reveal that this is my true self. God has woven this task into the core of our beings. This is a part of what we were made for. A dedication is a special time to declare that whatever these boys do in life, God will be with them. Which brings us full circle. See, God had prepared for this journey long before we knew we were on it. Elijah means “Jehovah is my God”. That is the core of what makes a baby dedication worthwhile. Without God none of it matters. Finally, I would be remised if I didnt stress the importance of your commitment today. You all carried us through times when we were too weak carry ourselves. So, we have no doubt that our church family will continue to nurture our boys towards the men they were created to be and possibly learn more about yourself along the journey. Thank you friends and family for loving the Cases.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 00:18:50 +0000
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