Years ago, when our children we small, we attended a church in Grand Rapids, Michigan that had a rather unique twist on the traditional dedication ceremony. We wrote the following as a covenant with our children. I was revisiting this as stocking stuffers for my daughter and son. I believe a covenant is not something to be taken lightly or to be a one-and-done. Such things should be renewed regularly, in thought and commitment. I cannot think of a better way to reaffirm the commitment my wife and I have to our children than to share it publicly and ask to be held accountable.
My Child,
There three commitments which are most important in one’s life. These are one’s commitment to God, a man and woman’s commitment to each other in marriage, and the commitment of parents to their child. Today, we reaffirm all of these in covenant with you.
It is our desire that you will be a man/woman of Godly character and integrity. To this end, we covenant with you, today, to teach you about God and Christ, our Savior. We will not be Christians in name only. Rather, we will strive in all aspects to live as Disciples of Christ. We will, albeit not perfectly, model Christ’s teachings in all that we do. We will teach you to love God, to love your neighbor, and to love yourself. We will teach you to be respectful of others and to appreciate the diversity of life.
We are committed to one another in the marriage covenant. Love takes effort and we are committed to keeping our love alive. In so doing, we promise to model a Christ-centered marriage to you. Each one of us contains the whole, the infinite, and each one of us is good and beautiful in our Divine individuality. What makes us who we are, in our core, is unique. The infinity knot depicted in our wedding bands represents the individual in all his or her wholeness, with an element of complexity, welcoming the powerful thread of another, into the core. It symbolizes the integration of two while maintaining individual identity and purpose. With your birth, you, too, became interwoven into this fabric. As family, we are committed to one another, united in an unbreakable bond. Family cannot function successfully without God. God is love. Therefore, we promise to love you unconditionally and provide you with a safe, encouraging, and empowering environment.
God has created you for his unique Purpose. We commit to helping you find this Purpose and support you in it whatever it may be. We will encourage you and support you with the means God provides us. Know that you can never disappoint us as long as you live your life for others.
Parenting is an awesome responsibility. We do not take lightly the role we are given as parents. With God’s grace and help, we will prepare you for your Purpose. We are subject to the will of God and know that you are on loan to us. May you be an instrument in his marvelous work.
We love you and take great pleasure in watching you grow. We look forward to seeing the man/woman you are to become.