Dedication thoughts

Here are my thoughts on a dedication for the girls:

Brandon and I belong to Christ Community Church.  We have been transplanted and rooted into this body. Its members are our family, our companions, our confidants, our support, and our help in times of trouble. They rejoice with us. They hold us when we cry. They pray for us. They provide hospitality in their homes, offices, and hearts. 

As we bring our children before God and our biological families to seek God's blessing on their lives, we also ask for the great privilege of grafting them into the living body of Christ; our body; our church. The church has joyfully joined us in anticipating, welcoming, and celebrating our children. We now ask them to join us in dedicating Zadie and Hazel to God, in blessing their lives, and in vowing to love and nurture them within the body as they faithfully have done for us. 

Zadie's name is a derivative of Sarah, which means princess. We chose it because we liked the name, but I think its meaning also dovetails with Zadie's character. A true princess is born into a royal heritage that comes with both privilege and responsibility. As a leader and political figure, a princess must be strong and upright, intelligent and wise. She must also be gracious and gentle without being weak. She must use her power and influence to care for her subjects and kingdom, yet she is herself still subject to the influence, care, and leadership of the king and queen.  Zadie is independent and possesses a strong will and conscience. She is kind-hearted and generous, affectionate and thoughtful. I desire to see her grow into the fullness of her name. It is my goal to nurture her leadership qualities while also cultivating humility, wisdom, and generosity. 

Hazel's name is also just a name we liked. It means the Hazel tree, which, to me, symbolizes life; growth; one who is rooted in the earth and reaches toward heaven; one who provides shelter and bears fruit in season. Hazel is also derived from the Hebrew name Haziel, which means "God Sees" or "Prophecy of God."

Waiting for Hazel

Waiting for Hazel

Before you ever were,

I was 

Waiting for you;

For the right time to plant

The seed of a hazel tree. 

Through a long and stormy winter,

Holding hope close,

I waited

For the first stirring of spring. 

At last

Warm winds blew,

Sun thawed frozen earth,

And I scooped out a hole in my heart

For you. 

We planted you there,

Safe and surrounded

In the dark. 

You began to grow,

Sending out a shoot and a root,

Transforming from hope to new life

Within me. 

I held you close;

Gave you water and nutrients 

To feed your wondrous growth. 

As you stirred within me,

I knew love and mystery;

Life within life. 

Your roots pressed into

The walls of my heart,

Digging deep and holding fast. 

Your tender shoot

Reached for light,

Pressing toward the surface 

Of the soil. 

Patiently I waited for the day

When time would complete 

Your germination,

And at last

I could meet you

Under the sun. 

Eager as I was,

I stilled my hands

And did not dig to find you.

I knew you were coming

In your own time. 

I waited and waited

In the sun and rain,

Blown by the wind,

Pacing beneath the moon,

Singing in the night,

Sitting, standing; lying. 

I put my ear to the ground to listen

For you. 

I pressed the earth with my hands

To feel you move. 

Every day

I looked for a sign

That you were coming. 

You did not come. 

Days passed, then weeks. 

Where were you?

I longed for you. 

I watered the ground with tears. 

I pulled and pushed my body,

Emptying myself to make room 

For you. 

The window of time was closing,

And you had not come.

What could I do?

I lie, listening to the rain,

Waiting for the shoot

Of a hazel tree

To emerge.