A rose by any other name....

As regular readers know, I don't use our names or faces on this blog. It may seem kind of silly, and maybe it is, but it was the decision I made before I started it.



But it doesn't mean that I can't share what our names MEAN.


Mr. Curly and I have always enjoyed the tradition of naming your children names that hold special meaning. Whether that meaning comes from a belief, a circumstance or whatever, we like the idea that a name is more than something that just sounds nice.


It was just the other morning that I realized we not only gave our children names that reflect our beliefs, but they also fit so perfectly with the circumstances of life at that time.



Curly Girl's name means Life of Faith. While I was pregnant with her, we were planning out and preparing for our first new church plant. It was with great faith that we stepped out on a journey north to a place where we knew no one to begin following the call God had put on Mr. Curly's heart.



Curly Boy's name means The Lord is my God. Mr. Curly had chosen Curly Boy's name long, long before he even met me. He loved the meaning and symbolism behind it. But when Curly Boy was born, we were struggling with our calling. Hard times had come and there were many days I doubted God really was with us. To name our son The Lord is my God, to make that statement and keep that belief, it was important then and will be important the rest of our lives.



Curly Baby is already named. His name means Strong Gift of God. I honestly cried when I realized how true this was.



Curly Baby was not planned. We are planners here in the Curly household. I desperately wanted another baby, but with the ministry upheaval (closing our first church plant, searching for a new place to minister), it had been agreed upon (though reluctantly) that our third child would wait. That it would be better for us all if we were more settled in a new church before adding to our family.


I'll be honest, it was very hard for me to be happy as announcements of pregnancies from friends and family seemed to pop up daily. I shouted at God a LOT that it was absolutely NOT fair. I wanted another baby SO BADLY, and yet, I had been told to wait. And wait, and wait, while no answers were forthcoming on our prayers for a ministry assignment, for direction. I felt that the church and God were conspiring against me and the baby I was longing for.



And then I was pregnant, surprisingly so when we shouldn't have been. With a boy no less! And so, our child who I thought would never be, was given to us despite my attitude and disbelief, a Strong Gift from God.