Now that our precious little girl is a month old I thought I would share why we chose to name her what we did. Naming our children has always been a task that's very important to me. I really like it when their names have meaning, when it comes with a story. Both our children's names come from the Bible, and they're names that I've loved for a very long time. They're names that point to God and his goodness. Keziah is a name that I've loved ever since I was a teenager. It comes from the book of Job. The book of Job is about a righteous man who loves God and desires to live a life that shows that. Through a series of circumstances his faith was tested, losing his family, his wealth and his health. Though it wasn't always easy he stood firm in his beliefs and had faith that even if these difficult things wouldn't end, God was still good. In the end God ended up blessing Job ten fold. He blessed him with restoring his health, blessing him with way more livestock and land than he had before and with a family again. One of Job's new daughters is named Keziah. I've always really loved that story and the truth that it shares.
This time last year I was walking through a very difficult valley. Like many of you know we lost a child to miscarriage at the beginning of June, 2015. Though scary, my desire to grow our family never stopped and I longed to carry another child. Many days I prayed that if it was God's will he would bless us with another child. A lot of months went by to no avail, and I was discouraged. I was reminded that even if God chose not to give us another child, he was still good and he was still worth serving. That fall of 2015 we found out we were expecting again! Those first few weeks were spent in a lot of fear, fearing that we would loose this child too. Fearing that I would have to walk that path again, a path I didn't feel like I could face. One morning I was writing in my journal about all these fears and worries when all of a sudden it dawned on me: in June of 2015 we lost a baby and in June of 2016 we were expecting another. In that moment I felt God wrap his around me and tell me that he cared about me, he cared about that life that we lost and he cares about the new life that was growing inside of me. He reminded me of his goodness, even though he didn't have too. It was in that moment that I knew if we were to have a girl, her name would be Keziah Ruth. It was in that moment that I saw God taking something broken and difficult and making it beautiful. It was in that moment that I was reminded of God's redeeming power and love. God was giving us a gift, a very precious gift. Out of a dark valley came something good. Just like in the book of Job.
The name Ruth is also very special to me. In the spring of 2013 my family lost someone very special after a battle with cancer. My aunty Ruth went home to be with her Saviour. She was someone that I loved dearly and looked up too. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve her and my Uncle. She was a beautiful, Godly women with a gentle and quiet spirit. Someone that I would love my daughter to take after. But the name Ruth is special for another reason, once again it comes from the Bible. In the book of Ruth we see a story of God's providence, and a story of redemption. We've already seen God's providence so many times in her little life. It was by no mistake that she was brought into this world, she's here for a very real purpose, and I believe that with all my heart. I'm so excited to see that purpose unravel as I watch her grow up, Lord willing.
She is a gift. A gift i'm thankful for every day. Both my children are. What a treasure it is to be entrusted with these little lives, to mold and shape them into who they will become.
A month old already, and what an eventful month that has been! She weighs 8.15 lbs now, and is still 22.5 inches long. She loves to eat, gives the best little grins, sleeps through the night and has completely stolen our hearts. I hope and pray for many, many more months and years with you little girl!
