It’s traditional for parents to give their children a gift for their birthday. Usually this starts at the first birthday but I wanted to give each of my children something when they were born. Something they could take with them their entire life.
I wanted something I could give them that they could take through every stage of life. I wanted to give them something they could hang on to when times got tough. Something they could cling to when life knocked them around. Something they could depend on and trust in. But also something they could strive for.
I wanted to give each of my children the gift of a word for their life. But not just a word. I wanted to give them an idea. A goal. A character trait.
I decided that instead of a traditional name like John or Ann I would give each of my children a word as their middle name. A word that would mean something to them. A word they could take through life as a part of them. Fortunately my amazing wife was on board with the idea. Together we decided on a word for each of our children that we felt would be a part of who they would be. And a vision of who they could be.
Hope
I love hope. It is my favorite word. It is the one thing we all need. The thing we would die without. Hope is to the soul what oxygen is to the body.
I have a daughter I hope to officially adopt soon. I always hoped I would have an adopted child. I always hoped I would be able to give hope to a foster child through adoption. Hope is one of the anthems of my life.
My firstborn is lucky. She gets two middle names. One from her birth grandmother and one from her parents. One stands for hope and the other is hope.
It is though hope that my wife and went through the adoption process. It is because of our hope that we are able to offer hope to a child. It is my prayer that my child will always have hope. And my prayer that in the future she would give hope to others.
My daughter is a warrior, and her weapon is hope.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11
Valor
Before my twins even arrived I felt like I knew them. I felt connected to them immediately. So when I needed a word to speak over my son I had one immediately. The word was courage. My wife however, thought courage would be a little too outrageous as a middle name (she was right) and she didn’t like the rhythm of it. But she did agree with the idea of it for our son. After some thought she came up with another word. Valor.
It turns out I like that better. Valor means great courage in the face of danger. Valor is courage, but it is more than that. It is extreme courage when fear would be expected. It is being strong when circumstances tell you to be weak. It is great bravery when cowardice would be easier.
For some reason I think my son will need this trait. Possibly for himself and possibly to help others. I would hope not. As a father, I would like him to be safe. But there is a part of me that knows he will not be. It may be by choice or may be by circumstance, but at some point my son will need great courage. I want to give that to him, both by my presence in his life, and if necessary, in spite of my absence.
My son is a warrior, and his weapon is valor.
And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!
Judges 6:12
Mercy
Just as I knew my son before he was born, I also knew my daughter. She is sweet and kind. She is gracious and gentle. She is Mercy.
Don’t get me wrong. She could be a tornado (and in some ways I’m sure she will be). She could be a whirlwind (and in a lot of ways probably will be). She could be a firestorm (like her sister). But she will have a merciful spirit. Don’t miss what I’m saying. She won’t be weak. She will be strong. She will be powerful. She might be the strongest of the siblings, because mercy is a strong trait. Only the mighty can show mercy. The weak cannot. They have no mercy to show.
Mercy is tamed power. Mercy is gentle strength. Mercy is extreme grace.
My daughter is a warrior, and her weapon is mercy.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Matthew 5:7
One of these words is also the theme of my novel, The Nephilim Virus. Get your copy and find out which one.
“An intense and exceptionally well crafted thriller implementing spiritual ideas, “The Nephilim Virus” is an inherently fascinating and truly riveting read from beginning to end.” – Midwest Book Review
