Names.
Shakespeare said a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
Not sure I agree. Names have meaning -- and we speak that over a person every time we call their name.
Fortunately, God's in to changing names. Jacob (deceiver) became Israel (God contended). Saul becomes Paul. Simon becomes Peter.
I've taken names very seriously when naming our children. Just ask Eric. There would be names we liked that couldn't be seriously considered either because of the meaning or the lack of a Bible story to back up the name.
I want my children's names to be a prophecy in a sense. A statement of their destinies every time it crosses someone's lips.
Abigail Joy. Abigail means father's fountain of joy. I joke she's my joy joy. She delights everybody who knows her. And my deepest desire is that she will have the depth of character, wisdom and beauty of Abigail from the Bible.
Jonathan David. Jonathan means God has given. David means beloved. Our son who is a beloved gift straight from God's hand. He is a joy -- highly loved by those who know him. And I long for him to be a man with the combined strengths of the Old Testament friends Jonathan and David. And the strengths of his Grandpas: David and Walter John.
Rebecca Paige. Rebecca means joined together; Paige means assistant or servant. I've been adamant that our next daughter would be Rebecca Paige though I couldn't really tell you why. And the more I prayed about this baby, the more I knew that was the right name if she turned out to be a girl. This morning as I was holding her and praying, God showed me it was the perfect name for her. She is called to be His servant. To follow Him all the days of her life. And that is exactly what I want for her and my other children.
So what about you? What's your name mean or why did you choose the name you did for your children?
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3 comments:
I am with you in that I think names are so important. When I was born, my dad's parents didn't like my name Crystal. Then, they had to raise me while my mother was in the TB hospital(three years,) so I became "Crissy" or "Cris." I was never called Crystal until...I married Chris Miller! Then, it became essential that I revert to my given name. My mother thought Crystal was a beautiful name, so I suppose it was nice that she finally got to call me by that name. Crystal means clear gemstone or ice and my middle name is Elaine, which means light or torch. I really haven't liked my name, but I did appreciate how my mother stubbornly chose my name.Her mother died when she was five, so she had no mother to help her. Then, she had five miscarriages before she was able to have me (and the last one before me, she refused for them to take the baby for a whole week after he was dead.) She wanted me sooo much, and everyone was trying to name me--but she hurried up and put my name down before anyone got there! So, in a way, it's a tribute to my mother's toughness and I should be proud of that. She really was a wonderful mother--Lillian Arlene, and she was named by her five half-siblings after their dead sister. My grandmother, Anna, allowed her stepchildren to name my mother. Mom always said it was weird to have your name on a tombstone of a baby who was your half-sister.
Names mean things. It was neat to see your journey with names.
I agree that names are very important. I did the same with my children. I wanted them all to have biblical names of people in the Bible that they could admire and look up to. I also needed to know that when I spoke their name I was speaking life over them. So I have a Jesse Ray, a Noah Emmanuel, an Isaiah Michael and an Isaac Matthew. My step-daughter, Melissa Nicole was already named when I married her daddy. :-) I wish more young people understood that naming their child is very important. Too many Americans name their children because of how the name sounds or looks on paper than what the name means. Love this post, Cara! I'm currently reading your EXPOSURE book. :-)
Our first child was named after the husband of the friends who brought us together, Chris Corbin. Christopher is our "Christ Bearer"..and that is what we want him to be...Matthew is "gift from God". I'm learning more and more that all gifts from God require a responsibility on our part to accept them for what they are! He's a demanding child...but still a gift! Michael means "who is like God"....a reminder, after my own miscarriage, that He gives and takes away...His ways are higher than mine. Our two older boys middle names were chosen by their birthmoms...so they would always have a connection to their biological families...Michael's middle name is after my husband's...just because we LIKED it!
NEAT POST, CARA!
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