Pastor’s Blessing
John and Christine, we are here once again in the presence of family and friends, in the sight of God, and in this holy place to celebrate the birth of Jessica Leon and to dedicate her to God. By looking at Jake, you as parents, Jake’s grandparents and god-parents have all fulfilled your commitments made here almost two years ago. Jake is now a great little boy who loves Thomas the engine and knows how to share his toys with others. Jake is ready to share his toys with his baby sister, Jessica too. We are happy that we have come together for another time to make similar commitments to raise, guide, and protect Jessica today.
Christine and John, you have been wonderfully blessed with a little girl. While John is fussing over how to put on her frilly dresses with snaps, buttons, and ties in unusual places, Christine, you will begin to model for her on how a strong woman needs to be in our world today. She will learn from both of you—the active life and humor from John and the assertiveness and courage from Christine. Like Jake, you have given Jessica names from her grandparents so that family legacies are valued and connections are made strong. From Grandmother Pearl, Bo Li means precious and beautiful, and from Grandmother Rose Marie, your name means fragrant rebellion! For a girl to make it in the world today, Jessica will need to have self-esteem and ready to challenge any discrimination against her. You have truly blessed her with names that will equip her to stand up for herself and to succeed in the world.
When I visited Jessica this past week, I noticed how long her toes and fingers were. They reminded me of a Native American creation story from the Maida Indians of California. God the Earthmaker took some red clay, mixed it with water and carefully shaped man and woman. They were beautiful but unfinished, for they lacked hands. Earthmaker asked the other creatures what kind of hands they should have. The turtle said, “Like mine, so they can swim.” And the coyote spoke up, “No, like mine, so they can run fast.”
Earthmaker thought and thought and then said, “Thank you all, but I decided to make their hands like mine so that they can make things.” Since Earthmaker’s hands were the pattern for human hands, women and men became the most beautiful of all creatures because they could create things with their hands. Since Earthmaker’s hands left fingerprints of beauty on all creation, our hands should also be busy making our surroundings beautiful and delightful.
We don’t know at this point of Jessica’s life what she will be doing with her beautiful long fingers and toes. John wants her to play in the WNBA to make a lot of money! She may become a surgeon to heal the sick or an artist to create beautiful pictures or perhaps a teacher like her Mom to write on the board and to grade papers. Whatever Jessica grows up to be, she is created by God and everything she touches will become precious and beautiful.
As parents and grandparents, we will want to give our children everything they need and want. We read in the Bible that God our Father will also give good things to us when we ask for them (Lk. 11: 13). Good parents do that! But what Jessica really needs is the best spirits and love of each of you. What Jessica needs from her grandparents and godparents is good baby-sitting and your best spirits and love too.
I see that Jessica is apt to spit up a bit right now in her development. It may mess up our fancy and nice clothes. But I like to see it as inasmuch as we give our best spirits and love to her, she is giving back a little of herself to us as well! Christine and John, my hope and prayer for you, Jake and now Jessica are that God continues to bless you with joy and happiness as you dedicate Jessica and yourselves to the Lord.