What's in a name?

I knew this child would be a boy. I tried to fight it but I couldn’t. Here’s how I knew.

Before Hannah was born, we had a boy name but no girl name until the final days.

Before Miriam was born, we had a boy name but no girl name, until the final days.

Before Caleb, girl name no boy name.

As soon as I found out we were going to have another child I knew the name would be Grace… And Grace is not a boys name… or is it?

I’m on a “second journey” in my life. The rediscovery of God’s grace and how beautiful and simple it is. I am not sure I understand grace, but, as I love my children and as I watch them grow, I see a quality of my Creator in me as a father. If I, though I am evil, know how to provide, how to love and how to forgive my children, how much more will God provide, love and forgive me? The answer? Amazing Grace!

Naming a child is a difficult thing. I know a lot of people. I’m not sure if you have ever known someone and you told yourself, I’ll never name my kid that… They might grow up to be that person. Of course that says a lot about how shallow I am or shall I say we are. Think about it, how many children do you know with the name Judas? Someone does something that seals the fate of ever using that name again. Needless to say, knowing a lot of people with names, my list of names for boys was and is short. I wanted it to be biblical, so that eliminates a few, but what Bible names have not been used? Obadiah? I started a list. Levi… Judah… Israel… Isaiah… Jeremiah… Elijah… Adam. (This is not the entire list)

I found a plus and minus for each name. But none of them captured the point of Grace I was seeking in a name. Until one quiet time in which I found it. Words I’ve read many times before, yet, this time I read something I had missed in the past.

Psalm 103

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

When you google the meaning for the name Adam, you get 17,900,000 hits. A common theme is, “Adam, This is the Hebrew word for “man”. It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew Adam meaning “to be red.” Thus, most baby namer sites give the meaning “Red Dirt” or “Red Earth” But I wonder… “For He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.”

God remembers how He made man and THAT He made man and chose us.

4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

-Ephesians 1:4-6

God knew, before He formed man and breathed life into him, that He would save Adam in Christ to have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Grace!

Grace defined is:

2. (Theol.) The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as

distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His

mercy imparts; divine love or pardon; a state of

acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor.

It’s Amazing Grace that before Adam, God’s grace was in place. God knew man would sin, that His only Son would be crucified and yet God still created Adam. Grace allowed the creation Adam, Adam created in the image of God and formed from dirt by Gods hand. Adam was created with Gods Grace in mind.

It might be a long shot. I might need a good editor or I might be up to late typing these thoughts, but, if there was a boy name that best fits the word Grace, I would say it’s Adam.

peace.

johno~