Sweet Eden,
I can’t tell you how much joy fills my heart as your dad and I stand here today. I never dreamed God would choose to bless us with a baby girl, but here you are, and our hearts couldn’t be more excited. You are such a gift. Standing here looking at you amazes me. Your precious little life, fearfully and wonderfully formed by the hands of our Creator God, entrusted to us so that we could be a part in His great plan for your life. From before you were born, I prayed for God to constantly remind me that you are His, and for my heart to always be open to whatever He has planned for your unique and special life. It is so comforting to know that each of your days have all been prepared, before you even took your first breath. Paul’s words to the Galatians echo my heart, when he says that he’s again in the pains of childbirth until he sees Christ formed in them. How your dad and I pray for you to have a hunger and longing to know Christ and walk with Him. That God would use us, as your parents, to produce godliness in your life, as you watch our relationship with Him continue to grow and develop.
Ephesians 5:18 and 19 say, that you “1may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Sweet Eden, our steadfast prayer over your life is that you would know and become convinced of God’s great love. As the psalmist writes, that the morning would bring you word of His unfailing love, it is to God you lift up your soul. That you would know Christ as Savior at an early age, and that you will continue to seek him, thirst for Him, and long for Him until he calls you home.
Eden, as your mom just said, we are truly blessed and praise the Lord to be entrusted with such a great treasure. We also recognize that we have been entrusted with a great responsibility. God has called us to raise you up in a home where His truth is spoken and demonstrated. We are committed to loving you, teaching you, and leading you in a way that points you to Christ. We also commit to surrounding you with a body of Christ followers who will come along side us and teach you in ways that we cannot as parents. Eden, there are so many people here today (and many who could not be here) who love you and who are excited to help us raise you in a way that brings glory to God!
God loves you so much, sweet child, that He sent His only Son Jesus to prepare a way for you to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Jesus lived a completely perfect life, not once failing to obey His Father. We want you to know though, that none of us are capable of such a life! Christ alone lived perfectly, and He alone is qualified to bear the weight of our sin. Because of our sin, we aren’t able to have a relationship with God. But Jesus is God’s provision for our sin, and when He died on the cross, He bridged the gap that separated people from God. Eden, each and every one of us deserve to be on that cross – but Christ took our place! The good news is that Jesus is alive! God raised Him from the dead and it is through Him that you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life! But it doesn’t end there. You must trust Christ and receive him into your heart by your own personal invitation.
As your parents, God's provision of His own Son is truly humbling and gives entirely new perspective to the Gospel. We love you so much, and the thought of giving you up is unimaginable. But this is exactly what God did. His love for us is so great and He knew His Son’s sacrifice was the only way to free us from the burden of our sin. We long for the day when you come to understand these truths, and are so excited to be able to share this wonderful news with you. Only through Him will you find peace and life, both abundant and eternal.
Eden, we are committed to helping you become the wonderful person God intends for you to be. We believe that standing here today, before God and our church family, is the first step toward honoring that commitment. We have already been so thankful for their encouragement and accountability these past 6 months, and trust these blessings will only continue. Sweet girl, these people love you so much and we are incredibly blessed to have them walk beside us as we raise you. We are so excited to be your parents! May God be glorified in all we do.
We love you,
Mom and Dad
