Baby Lily having a sleep after the dedication ceremony.

Today, many extended family members and friends joined the congregation at church to witness the dedication ceremony for my youngest granddaughter, Lily. It was a beautiful service with her two older sisters singing a duet and an object lesson from a lily plant. My daughter and her husband promised to raise Lily for the Lord, protect her and keep her from harm, while the congregation pledged to pray for the family.

It reminded me of when my husband and I made those same promises when our daughters were infants. I also remembered my dedication certificate that was given when my parents made the same promises at my dedication ceremony.

The gown Lily wore was made by my mother many years ago for my older daughter’s dedication. It has now been used for the ceremony for my two daughters and all four granddaughters.

We have carried on this tradition in our family, but it’s far more than just a tradition, ceremony, ritual or rite. It’s a time when the parents present their children back to God, promising to raise them to live a righteous life, pleasing to Him.

Something you might want to journal

Did your parents present you to the Lord as a baby, in a dedication ceremony, infant baptism or christening? In what ways did they keep their vows?

If you were never presented to the Lord as an infant, what do you wish your parents would have promised for you?

Did you bring your children to the Lord in such a ceremony? What did it mean for you?