Dedicated to the Lord

Dear Taylor,

Last Sunday was a momentous day in your life. Last Sunday, we dedicated you to the Lord. It was everything I had hoped it would be. It was honoring to the Lord and that's all we could have asked. Your daddy and I were so overjoyed. It was such a blessing to be able to make those commitments to "raise you in the truth". You were surrounded by people who care deeply about you: your family and friends. Even Granddaddy got to pray for you. I am so thankful for the support we have. People who I know will keep their promises to direct you closer to Him in any way they can.


The first time I came to a baby dedication, I was mesmerized by Pastor Harry's prayers. I loved the fact that he prayed such specific prayers for each baby that was being dedicated. I could not wait until the day that we had our own little baby, and we got to hear Pastor Harry's special prayer for him/her.

Well that baby turned out to be you, Taylor, and we could not have been happier.

I had asked Old Lady to write down Pastor Harry's specific prayer, so we could have it for you. Well, when I got back to my seat after the dedication, Old Lady looked a little worried. I asked if she was able to get the prayer written down. Her reply was so funny. "I'm so sorry. I tried to write it all down, but he was going too fast, I couldn't get it all. I tried. It was just too hard." The poor dear was almost in tears. She knew how much it meant to me to have that prayer. Such a sweetie.

Anyways, it all turned out okay, because the sound people (thanks J.C. and Michelle) recorded the whole baby dedication, so I was still able to get the prayer.

Here it is baby, girl. I hope it means as much to you some day as it does to me.

"Lord, we celebrate today the gift that Taylor Francis is to Jonathan and Kristin. Their firstborn, a little girl. We pray that You would shepherd them as parents and You would, Lord, give them grace and energy, wisdom and a unique capacity to discern her needs and her bent. And Lord may they invite her to know Christ, and may she receive You early. May she live for You wholly. God, would You provide her what she needs so she can be able to grow into the full beauty that You have endowed her with in Christ. Lord, give her a precious, sweet heart. Give her a large heart. Let her taste and feel, maybe what others miss. And give her the capacity to be a vessel that displays Your compassion and grace. Lord, I dedicate Taylor Francis Owen to You and I do so in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow! We rejoice over you, Taylor, and dedicate you to Him. We commit to bringing you up in the truth and doing everything we can to point you to Jesus Christ. We take personal responsibility to explain the Gospel to you, and to see to it that you understand the grace of God through Jesus Christ. We commit to raise you in a Christ-centered home; to confirm and validate the truth by living in a way that shows you Christ. We commit to support you if God calls you to full-time Christian service, wherever that may be. We will help you get to where God wants you to go. We dedicate ourselves to those things as much as we are dedicating you to the Lord. Amen.