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Saturday, November 5, 2011

She has a name

I have been wrestling with the process of picking a name for this little girl from the moment the ultrasound tech revealed her dainty identity to her father and I. I have known for quite some time what my husband’s wishes were, but attributed them to happenstance and mere affinity. Regardless, I did not take the name seriously and boldly embarked on my own exploration for her name. I came up with many that were dear to me and when I shared them with my husband, he lovingly assured me they were good names and if I felt they were proper to go with it. I never felt that inner peace with any of them, however. It continued to tug at me that all of the names I had chosen were obviously peace offerings from my husband. His heart remained tied to his choice.
I decided to pray about the name choice that my husband had audaciously proclaimed as early as our pregnancy with Cutter came to an end, and asked that God would open my heart to the name. I didn’t reveal my prayers to my husband and silently asked God to make this heart change within me.

From the moment he first revealed his choice to me, I admitted that I liked the name he chose. For selfish reasons I simply wanted to find my own name, for my girl, my daughter. I wanted to be the one that named her; a humbling moment for sure.

I continued to call her the name in private and it began to feel right. I would pray for her by this name and ask for the Lord to bless her little life and knit our hearts together from the onset. Yesterday at bible study, I asked the women at my table to pray for me regarding the name. I asked that they would specifically pray that God would allow me to be at peace with the name, and joyfully claim it for our daughter.

Today, Cutter and I went to Target to purchase the items we were going to pack in our shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. I heard a woman call for her daughter from the aisle adjacent to us, and I literally stopped dead in my tracks. This was the name that my husband had chosen for our little girl. I walked around the corner and boldly asked the woman if that was indeed her daughter’s name. She was the cutest, blondest, blue-eyed little girl dressed in brown tights and a flowered dress to match. Her mother shared that her name was indeed what I had heard, and my heart nearly leaped out of my chest. A more forthright response from up above could not have been revealed! My heart immediately softened and I felt myself become giddy with excitement over our commonality in nomenclature. She was gracious in sharing that she had never personally met another child by that name, and assured me that my husband and I would love it.

It was one of the most practical answers to prayer I think I have ever received, and quickly at that. I immediately called my husband to relate the story and he was overwhelmed with joy when I told him that I knew for certain that this would be our little girl’s name. God has willed me to rely on Him through so much with this pregnancy – from our miscarriage, to the sorrows and pain of thinking we would not get pregnant again, to the joy and celebration of learning we were indeed carrying another child past the coveted 12 week mark, through the pain of a hospitalization and the fear associated with our daughter’s well-being, and now in the naming of her precious being. He is amazing.

Now that you are bursting with anticipation, with joy and hearts full of praise we will be naming our daughter: Scout Everly.  

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Such a beautiful name! Additionally, I can totally picture you calling for "Cutter and Scout! Come in for dinner!" Perfect!

The Drakes said...

Love it! Love that middle name choice. I really enjoyed hearing your testimony on the whole process and how God answered your prayer! Now if only we could pick a name... :) You look great in the previous picture by the way!

Darcy Veneziale said...

Genn I love it! Such a beautiful and adorable name! Go Steve!