My dear Jack,
Today was an exciting day in your life and one I'm sure you will not remember since you are only almost 5 months old. Today your father and I brought you in front of South Main Baptist Church and you were officially welcomed into that family.
And then we had cake afterwards (sorry that you didn't get any, you are a baby).
Bonhoeffer (who you will be familiar with soon enough) wrote a beautiful letter to his nephew on the occasion of his baptism. I hope that when that day comes, I'll be able to pen something even half as eloquent and thoughtful as Bonhoeffer, but I'm afraid you'll have to suffice with your mom's slightly clumsy and inelegant reflections. This will include today and those subsequent watermarks on your life.
There are two things I know you will not remember, but I hope that you'll learn in time from today.
The first is how much your South Main family already loves you. We knew that your biological family would love you, but your church family already loves you and they are so excited to walk alongside you and us as you get older. The first person to visit you in the hospital that wasn't family (because we all know that Aunt Johana is family), was Ms. Amy. You won't be able to see her very often, but she has been one of your mom's best supports and friends. The first people we trusted to babysit you that weren't your grandparents were Ms. Sarah and Ms. Amanda. Oh my goodness how much they love you and ask to come over just to cuddle you. Those first few weeks that you were home, people from all generations at the church texted, called, and brought food and/or coffee to help your parents survive (lesson learned: newborn babies are exhausting even though you slept most of the day!).
Ms. Sandra has gushed over you, Mr. Bill and Mr. Johnny have cuddled you, and the people at PlayDays have loved on you and fed you and placed you in your favorite swing. You really love that swing and I'm a tad worried about the day when you outgrow it. The number of people that have remarked how happy you always seem or offered us an extra set of hands is too big to name. You are somewhat of an unofficial mascot for the Young Pros class and one of the Little Buddy gang of babies born to the Journey class this year.
South Main has been a family to me for thirteen years, for us for almost six, and I cannot wait to see what kind of family they will be for you. I know that Ms. Dolores and Pastor Steve and Ms. Kate will have a lot in store as you grow older.
The second thing is the verse we chose for you. You father and I picked out several and he told me to choose (a wise decision because I inevitably have many more opinions on that type of thing). I chose Isaiah 46:4
There are many things to know about why this verse. The first is that Isaiah is a really cool book. It's full of rebuke but also full of promises that God will never stop loving his children even when they have done wrong, even when they seem to no longer deserve God. This is the God that loves you and that we will teach you about. God loves you more than you will ever know or deserve. Even when things feel like they are going completely wrong, God still loves you as much as ever before.
But I also chose this verse for a selfish reason. For nine months I carried you and sang "Abide with Me" to myself whenever I would feel worried about you and me and who we would be on the other side of your birthday. On the operating table, waiting alone for the nurses and doctors to come back and bring you into the world, I sang it to myself, knowing that even though I was SO scared at that moment, God was with me and you. I still sing this song to you at night when you go to sleep.
Right now, we are still carrying you. You can't get anywhere by yourself... yet. One day I won't need to carry you anymore. One day we won't need to carry you to the front of the sanctuary because you'll have little legs that can run or walk up there.
But baby, we never stop needing to be carried.
There will be days and months and seasons when things will just go wrong. Things will be hard, sometimes really hard. You will need someone to carry you through those times. Maybe it won't be physically carrying you, maybe it will be someone who will sit with you as you cry or bring you food when you are sick or just laugh with you when you are lonely. At South Main we call those people our 2 AM friends.
And baby, this is your verse because there may come a time when you don't know who will help you and carry you. These can be scary times, but what I want you to remember is that God is always carrying you - it may not feel like it at times, but God is always abiding with you. In the darkest nights of your life, God is walking alongside you and picking you up when you fall. You won't always be aware of it at the time, in my life at least, I've been able to see it in the details of hindsight.
So as you grow, we'll do our best to remind you of these promises made on your dedication - that you have a family, a church family, and a God that love you and will carry you just as they have carried us.
And I promise we will also get you some cake at some point.
Today was an exciting day in your life and one I'm sure you will not remember since you are only almost 5 months old. Today your father and I brought you in front of South Main Baptist Church and you were officially welcomed into that family.
And then we had cake afterwards (sorry that you didn't get any, you are a baby).
Bonhoeffer (who you will be familiar with soon enough) wrote a beautiful letter to his nephew on the occasion of his baptism. I hope that when that day comes, I'll be able to pen something even half as eloquent and thoughtful as Bonhoeffer, but I'm afraid you'll have to suffice with your mom's slightly clumsy and inelegant reflections. This will include today and those subsequent watermarks on your life.
There are two things I know you will not remember, but I hope that you'll learn in time from today.
The first is how much your South Main family already loves you. We knew that your biological family would love you, but your church family already loves you and they are so excited to walk alongside you and us as you get older. The first person to visit you in the hospital that wasn't family (because we all know that Aunt Johana is family), was Ms. Amy. You won't be able to see her very often, but she has been one of your mom's best supports and friends. The first people we trusted to babysit you that weren't your grandparents were Ms. Sarah and Ms. Amanda. Oh my goodness how much they love you and ask to come over just to cuddle you. Those first few weeks that you were home, people from all generations at the church texted, called, and brought food and/or coffee to help your parents survive (lesson learned: newborn babies are exhausting even though you slept most of the day!).
Ms. Sandra has gushed over you, Mr. Bill and Mr. Johnny have cuddled you, and the people at PlayDays have loved on you and fed you and placed you in your favorite swing. You really love that swing and I'm a tad worried about the day when you outgrow it. The number of people that have remarked how happy you always seem or offered us an extra set of hands is too big to name. You are somewhat of an unofficial mascot for the Young Pros class and one of the Little Buddy gang of babies born to the Journey class this year.
South Main has been a family to me for thirteen years, for us for almost six, and I cannot wait to see what kind of family they will be for you. I know that Ms. Dolores and Pastor Steve and Ms. Kate will have a lot in store as you grow older.
The second thing is the verse we chose for you. You father and I picked out several and he told me to choose (a wise decision because I inevitably have many more opinions on that type of thing). I chose Isaiah 46:4
Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he,
I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
There are many things to know about why this verse. The first is that Isaiah is a really cool book. It's full of rebuke but also full of promises that God will never stop loving his children even when they have done wrong, even when they seem to no longer deserve God. This is the God that loves you and that we will teach you about. God loves you more than you will ever know or deserve. Even when things feel like they are going completely wrong, God still loves you as much as ever before.
But I also chose this verse for a selfish reason. For nine months I carried you and sang "Abide with Me" to myself whenever I would feel worried about you and me and who we would be on the other side of your birthday. On the operating table, waiting alone for the nurses and doctors to come back and bring you into the world, I sang it to myself, knowing that even though I was SO scared at that moment, God was with me and you. I still sing this song to you at night when you go to sleep.
Right now, we are still carrying you. You can't get anywhere by yourself... yet. One day I won't need to carry you anymore. One day we won't need to carry you to the front of the sanctuary because you'll have little legs that can run or walk up there.
But baby, we never stop needing to be carried.
There will be days and months and seasons when things will just go wrong. Things will be hard, sometimes really hard. You will need someone to carry you through those times. Maybe it won't be physically carrying you, maybe it will be someone who will sit with you as you cry or bring you food when you are sick or just laugh with you when you are lonely. At South Main we call those people our 2 AM friends.
And baby, this is your verse because there may come a time when you don't know who will help you and carry you. These can be scary times, but what I want you to remember is that God is always carrying you - it may not feel like it at times, but God is always abiding with you. In the darkest nights of your life, God is walking alongside you and picking you up when you fall. You won't always be aware of it at the time, in my life at least, I've been able to see it in the details of hindsight.
So as you grow, we'll do our best to remind you of these promises made on your dedication - that you have a family, a church family, and a God that love you and will carry you just as they have carried us.
And I promise we will also get you some cake at some point.
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