God you are gracious. That is only thought I could muster when I held this boy in my hands. Breathing and present. Crying and finally seen.
Father you are gracious, constantly giving us what we do not deserve. We are from a distant place, not from your decisions but our own, and yet you draw us to yourself. May Willem feel this draw from a young age so he knows no other reality but being close to you.
Your grace extends to every pleasing thing we see. This world is full of the good, the beautiful and the true because you make it so. May Willem be the seeker and protector of these things: your gifts. May he make you known by acknowledging the giver of the gifts, protecting and preserving them for others, and spurning the counterfeits.
Give him a resolve that hardens when the fight is nigh and the opportunity to run away is close at hand. May his will be in protecting the vulnerable and defending the weak. And encourage him when he gives his strength for your cause and your name.
Your grace brings joy; the only reasonable response to the good life. May Willem be known as a joyful one, experiencing the good life as he is connected to you. May that connection be confirmed in his happiness and may his happiness be contagious, bringing others to connection to the Giver of Joy.
May his life’s direction be always a steady trajectory toward you and may he live out his name.
Amen
Willem- Resolute Protector
Joyus- Joyful One
Estep- Dweller from the Eastern Valley