Young mother Sheree Ann Small and her son McQuain McKeel Marshall. - George Henry

In front of a Sunday congregation at the Sanguinetti New Testament Church of God, young mother Sheree Ann Small, took her son, McQuain McKeel Marshall to be dedicated to God.

Supported by godmother Shana-kay Henry and godfather Norkelly Martin, Small carefully held her beautiful little baby and listened to words from Teslin Brown and Reverend Dr Roy Owens before they prayed for her son.

Brown reminded the young mother that a baby's dedication is an occasion during which believing parents and sometimes family members make a commitment before the Lord to submit their children to God's will and to raise them up according to God's word and ways.

Small was told that parents who make such vows of commitment are instructed to raise their children in the ways of God and not according to their own ways. Some of the responsibilities she said include teaching and training their children in God's word, demonstrating an example of godliness, disciplining according to God's way and praying earnestly for their children.

Brown reminded Small that in dedicating her son McQuain, she was giving back to God the gift he has given her as a parent; and that it is an act of worship, thanksgiving, dependence, trust and commitment, and that the practice of dedication has been modelled throughout the Bible.

Brown also had a word for McQuain's godparents. She told then that:

"Being godparents is not a legal commitment but a spiritual one. Your role is to help the child to live a Christian life and to be always available to your godchild. Your responsibilities start here in this dedication ceremony and continue throughout the life of the child".

divine institution

In his utterances before the baby was prayed for, the pastor shared that the family is a divine institution, and added that the first nurse and teacher all babies know are their parents.

He explained that parents start to teach their babies from they are in the womb, and said Miss Small and the godparents of McQuain are now teachers for the infant.

He called on the parents and godparents to teach the baby boy to praise and to say thanks; and also reminded them that they have a serious responsibility to ensure that McQuain is brought up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.

In his prayer for the baby, Reverend Dr Owens called on God to dispatch angels from above to protect little McQuain from all evil. The pastor asked God to provide for Miss Small so that she will have whatever is needed to cater for the child intellectually and otherwise and that he will grow up to be a blessing wherever he goes.

McQuain Marshall, the son of Michael Marshall, who was unable to attend the dedication ceremony, was born at the Mandeville Hospital on October 4, 2012. He weighed eight pounds at birth. McQuain was among a set of three babies dedicated on the occasion.

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