Being a Godparent

Between the two of us Chris and I have 8 Godchildren. Three we share officially (meaning both our names are on their certificates) but I claim all 8 because all 8 play a prominent part in both our lives and definitely of both our prayers. All 8 remind me that we are part of something bigger than ourselves; we are part of the family of God.

Andrew

Stewart and Eloise

I vividly remember being asked by each parent to be a Godparent. With each request I was humbled, I was honored, and I was overwhelmed. For us being a Godparent goes beyond having another person to whom to send gifts. (We've got four of our own for crying out loud)--for us being a Godparent expands the responsibility we have to live a Godly life, to practice a life of faith, and to take seriously the fact that we are all connected through faith--by blood or by request we are all a part of the family of God. The family of God defies the boundaries we as people create. The family of God demands that we all acknowledge our interconnectedness our interdependence and our  responsibility to one another and particularly to the children. 

Beckett

Being a Godparent is hard--it is another part of life through which the "world"--the secular world--can assess you. Did you remember every birthday, do you stay connected enough, and do you measure up?  I believe being a Godparent transcends those expectations--being a Godparent is about a Trinitarian relationship--me, the child, and God. Being a Godparent is about accepting the honor and the privilege of joining another set of parents on a life long journey of loving, guiding and praying for one of God's most vulnerable--a creature created in the image of God's own self--a child. Being a Godparent is about acknowledging that the world is broken, that we are all broken but that by coming together in our

Jonathan

brokenness, healed by God's love we can be a part of creating something holy and good. Being a Godparent is about becoming a part of something bigger than ourselves--it is about being incarnational and it starts with a child.

Celia

The truth is that most time becoming a Godparent originates with a relationship between adults. I don't know how I was chosen to be each child's Godparent--I don't know how I made "the cut", what the competition was, or what criteria I had to meet. I know that each time I was asked my heart expanded.  I know that each time I said yes to the parents I also said yes to God. "Yes" I accept the responsibility of intentionally being a conduit to let the children come to You. "Yes" I will strive through my life and my prayers to make sure these children know You and that they will have a connection to You through me. "Yes" I will practice my faith and connect to them so that they know there are people who love them not because they were born into a particular biological family but because they were born into the family of God.

Matilda

I love being a Godparent. I wish I had more time with each of them; I am often overwhelmed with the feelings of responsibility I have to each of them. But I treasure each of them and the little time we have. I love hearing about their lives and spending time with them laughing, playing games and being together. I mourn that there are some too far away for that to happen often, and I hope they know they are in my daily prayers.

Charlotte

Being a Godparent helps me to experience God and being a Godparent makes me a better person. Being a Godparent is holy and good.  I love being a Godparent!