Joy that a man is born into the world

I come unto Thee with hearty thanks that Thou hast called me to serve a little child unto Baptism and regeneration by water and Spirit. I go now, with joy, in the name and stead of this child, to renounce the devil and all his ways,and with heart and mouth and in true faith to confess Thee, the true God.

How blessed to receive tidings of a baby born healthy and well, a mother safely and mercifully delivered without complication. This week I have the privilege of praying the above words, taken from the "Prayer of Sponsors Before Baptism" from Loehe's Seed-Grains of Prayer. My new niece and intended goddaughter is beautifully named for 58 brave and faithful souls whose ship bore them not across the Atlantic but across the Jordan. They came to a land of perfect worship, far beyond the better worship they sought. God rest them in peace, and her in his promises . . . and her mother in a few months. :)