Dedicating Baby Madeline.

I am a middle school math teacher. I was walking around my classroom this week during a cooperative learning activity, and noticed that Maddie, one of my students, had a very unique, precious drawing on her binder that brought a smile to my face. It was an anchor, and below it said, "Jesus is my anchor!" Several things ran through my mind at that moment: pride and joy for the student, and hope that when my girls come to be Maddie's age and older, they will be bold enough to boast such a statement on their binders.

Our "homework assignment" for this baby dedication was to answer the question, "What kind of person do I want my child to become?" Confident. Independent. Kind. Loving. Thoughtful. Considerate. Ambitious. Motivated. Focused. Passionate. Even-tempered. Trustworthy. Gentle. Selfless.

But, in Madeline's life, what will matter most 100 years from now will be her relationship with God.

I was moved by this passage in the book, Feminine Appeal, as I was preparing for today:

This is the thought that should be uppermost on your mind in all you do for your children: In every plan, every arrangement that concerns them, do not leave out the mighty question, "How will this affect their souls?"

The responsibility we have as parents to be a role model for our children can sometimes feel overwhelming, and I think as parents we often times feel we fall short of meeting it. When we look at the list of traits we hope our children acquire, how are we doing at modeling those in our own lives?

We can't give what we don't have. We know that if we don't have a loving marriage and model that for our children, they won't understand and appreciate what that looks like. So we commit to prioritizing this in our lives.

Quiet time, joining a small group, and reading our Bibles are other ways we can be a role models for our children in leading them in the ways of God. We commit to prioritizing our growth as Christians so that we can be the kind of parents our kids need us to be.

We don't have to parent alone, we will partner with our church over the next 18 years and build a trusting relationship with Madeline. We want to build a strong spiritual foundation within our children. We want them to have a strong, passionate relationship with Jesus.

So what should we be doing to influence our children while they're young? Being the best role models we can be, continuing to grow in Christ in our own lives, and by keeping in mind what matters most: Their relationship with God.