Caleb's Baby Dedication

C.S. Lewis

I married a philosopher. He invites new ideas in. He listens, contemplates, tests. He's not a smoker, but if he were, it would be a pipe. He'd rest in a large armchair in a wood-paneled library asking you to expound on your previous statement. When I met I Paul, he was mid-thought on a philosophy called Determinism. In my understanding, Determinism outlaws the concept of free will, postulating that the universe is strictly cause and effect. Your decisions? Reactions. Followed though its full course, it is a dark and lonely place. I watched that handsome man mull it over, reach his conclusion, and move forward.

In my short and sheltered life, I hadn't met anyone so willing to discuss the possibilities of how and why life happens. If you're wondering what this has to do with Caleb's baby dedication, here's the crux: The philosopher found his philosophy when Christ found him in 2003. I'll leave the jewel of that story for Paul to tell, but it makes me think of this quote by C.S. Lewis: "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

The philosopher I married chose the verse for Caleb's baby dedication: Proverbs 23:26. The context of the verse made me hesitant at first, but as Paul explained why he chose it, I couldn't think of a better verse for the occasion. "My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways." It's an invitation for our son to watch us live out our faith, practicing forgiveness and kindness in our home and in our community, seeking God's approval rather than man's, learning to love like Christ, obeying the One who gave everything for us, growing in our knowledge of God and who we are in Him.

We have no greater hope for Caleb then for him to discover the Lord for himself. "Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8). Caleb's baby dedication was a chance for us to commit to this hope.