When we discovered we were pregnant again our world was jostled a great deal more than we imagined it would be. We knew one day we wanted another, but NOW?! That was not in our plan or expectation. We were very nervous, anxious, and fearful as to HOW that was ever going to work.

Where would the finances come for this? Where would childcare come while we both have to work to support our family? Is this the best neighborhood for raising a family? Should we move to a better more expensive place? How could this work?

We came to worship together in that same way we all come to worship some days. Our minds and hearts clouded and distanced with all of life’s impossibilities and troubles. It makes our worship feel faint and fake.

Once the opening chord of Forever Reign is begun, God met us in that place. We sang the words “You are peace. You are peace when my fear is crippling,” and our worship became sincere and authentic in a moment’s time.

God would be peace in our crippling fear. We slowly learned to trust those words in the following moments.

Months later (say about 9 or so), we were still without a name for our second daughter who would be born the next day. In a seemingly unrelated moment, we would name her Haddisen PEACE.

A couple months after she was given to us, my wife made the connection that was there all along. “How incredible that the moment we were so worried, we sang that song and now her name is PEACE!” God must have known.

Yesterday, on Father’s Day, we had both of our girls dedicated. It is nothing magical or mystical. It is a symbol by which we set apart or dedicate our children to God. It is also when we are dedicated as parents. We are saying in this moment that we will raise our children to know Jesus. To say “These are Your children entrusted to us, and we will honor You in that.”

We came into the worship center and stood to worship together as a family. I held Haddisen Peace in my arms and we heard God whisper his outrageous love for us in the opening chord of Forever Reign.