What's in a Name...

Many people have asked us why we chose the name Jonathan for our son. They usually start off asking if it's a family name, to which we answer "no", and then proceed to ask if it has any sort of significance - to which we definitely answer "YES!" While time usually only allows us to say that its a biblical name that we liked, here's the whole story...

Ever since Brett and I started considering names for our future children, Brett insisted that one of our sons be named Jonathan. Now, me being the stubborn woman that I am (hard to believe me being stubborn, right?) told him no way, no how! I would not have my future son being called "Johnny", "John-Boy", "Little Johnny" or anything of the sort. I didn't like it. In fact, I was dead set against it...that was until I began seeing it from Brett's perspective. His reasoning behind wanting this name was far more noble than my reason for not wanting it, so I began to let go of my stubbornness and look into what this name really meant.

Brett picked this name because he loves the story of Jonathan and his armor-bearer found in 1 Samuel 14:1-14. In it, Jonathan exhibits such courage and such trust in God that he is willing to act, in a rather dangerous way, on the chance of "perhaps". He says in verse 6, "perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few", and that is the kind of faith Brett wanted our son to have. After reading it for myself, that was the kind of faith I too wanted my son to have. So, since then I have prayed that our son would grow up to believe in the God who is all powerful and able to act on our behalf when we ask Him to. I have prayed that just like Jonathan in the bible, our son would walk through life with courage and confidence, knowing that he is first and foremost a child of God. I have prayed that he would grow to be a man of integrity who others want to follow. But most of all, I have prayed that God would do mighty things through him and use him to bring glory to His name!

So, after much disagreement and going back and forth, our son was given the name Jonathan, and whether he gets called "Johnny" or "John-Boy" or any other nickname as he grows up doesn't matter. His name has meaning and purpose behind it, and I can't wait to tell him all about it someday.