Dedicated to the Lord

For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD. I Samuel 1: 27-28

Sunday, March 29, Jack was dedicated to the Lord at our church. It was awesome. We sat in the very front (a first for me) and were accompanied by Kurt's parents and our friends Carolyn and Colton (and The Journey ABF who gave us a whoop whoop from the back of the sanctuary...I would love to know who that was!). Jack was great (well semi great!) and decided to slap the pastor and fuss a little during the prayer, but other than that, he was a sweetheart. 

It was a refreshing experience to sit in the front of the sanctuary. It sounds like a simple change, however, God used this to capture my attention and speak to my heart. The pastor spoke about grace specifically related to the story of King David and the grace he shed upon Saul's relative (ok so I was paying attention, but can't remember the name of the relative). He gave this illustration of grace (which I had heard before but never really heard). 

Getting what you deserve is Justice.

God not giving us what we do deserve is Mercy.

God giving us what we don't deserve is Grace. 

He then went on to further illustrate by saying something along these lines...

Let's pretend that your son or daughter is murdered and the killer is caught. He (or she) is awaiting trial. You have the opportunity to face the murderer and influence the judge's decision. You decide that the death penalty is in order. This is vengence. Or maybe you decide that the murderer should be allowed to live. This is mercy. Lastly, maybe you request that the murderer be released and be allowed to live in your home, eat your food, and be under the care of your family. This is grace. 

He then went on to point out that God's grace is like the last choice. He allowed his only Son to be killed (by us by the way), then he payed the price for all of our sins, then he invited us to come live in his house and share in his blessings (salvation/spending eternity in Heaven with Him). This is the ultimate illustration of grace. 

My heart skipped a beat. My mind immediately felt a sense of loss as if my own child had been taken. Then I thought, not only taken, but punished and tortured far beyond what I could ever imagine. This is what Jesus endured. Wow Lord. Thank you for speaking directly to me. 

Romans 5:8 tells us "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

This is what I will remember about Jack's dedication day. Yes, I will remember standing up on stage thanking God for this precious little boy and praying that my child would be saved at an early age and that God would shed grace on him and on us as his parents. I will remember these things. But I will also remember that I saw Jesus in a new way and experience God's grace all over again.