Called by Name

A couple of months ago, I asked our oldest son, Benjamin, what he thought we should name the baby. He immediately said, "David," and I was offended by the fact that he automatically assumed that the baby was a boy since I was desperately hoping for a girl. So, I proceeded to ask, "What if the baby is a girl?" He thought about it a minute and then said, "If the baby is a girl, we should name her Dancer." "Wonderful," I thought, "just the name I had in mind."

I had not even thought about boy names, somehow convincing myself that if I didn't pick a boy name, it would increase my chances of having a girl. Anyway, I had almost exhausted my list of favorite boy names: Benjamin, Caleb, Elijah ... I was running out of options. So, when we were told that we were expecting another little boy, it was back to the drawing board to pick a boy name .... again.

This time, however, there was a certain urgency behind picking a name and making sure that it was the right one. The meaning behind a name has always been important to me, now more than ever before. We had to pick the right name soon because the clock was ticking, and every minute that passed signified less time to spend with Baby and less opportunity to call him by name.

In my previous two pregnancies, it seemed as though the forty weeks leading up to birth were only a quiet prelude to the new life that would soon change our world. This time, however, the forty weeks of pregnancy (with only 18 weeks left now) is the main event, and we must cherish every fleeting moment. As such, it became imperative that Tom and I agree on a name for Baby ... pronto.

The only problem is that for Tom and me to agree on much of anything is quite a feat. We are both opinionated and stubborn. Thankfully, we are learning ... but my, oh my, this is a long learning process. As we were thinking and praying about what to name Baby, I received the following message from a dear sister in Christ: "I have been lifting you and your son before the Throne of our Almighty God and Father. He is truly the Father of all compassion and also the worker of miracles. As I prayed for your precious son according to Psalm 139, I sensed Him telling me to pray for him 'by name'."

This was yet another confirmation that Baby needed a name. Even though our Heavenly Father already knew his name, I wanted to know too! So, after much prayer and deliberation, Tom and I agreed to name him David ("beloved") Nathaniel ("gift of God"). Now, I know that our five-year-old was right after all. We are having a boy, and his name is to be called David. And oh, how this precious child is our beloved gift of God. He is a gift that I am holding on to for dear life.