Name

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet –William Shakespeare

London Joy – oh your name makes my whole-body smile; it is a big name for our tiny Sweet Pea. We shared London Joy’s name with the world in my husband’s blog post, Sweet Pea has a Name. It was a wonderful moment to share our excitement with the world.

I want to share a bit about her name from my heart.

I don’t remember when we first thought of the name London for our little girl. Ron and I were talking about someone who had a London of their own. I knew someone who had a daughter named London; she passed away in a tragic accident. It always stuck with me as we carried her to term after receiving her diagnosis. Would she have a short life too?

Ron and I honeymooned in London. We had the sweetest of times. We explored a place neither of us had ever been, made itineraries together, walked the city with each other, took the Tube, and ate our way across the Thames. It was a celebration of our love and the beginning of our forever. We experienced so much joy in London.

Which brings us to London’s middle name, Joy. As a young(er) woman, I read the book, Hind’s Feet in High Places by Hannah Hurnard. The main character’s name was Much Afraid; through the course of the allegory, her name changes to Grace and Glory. The Shepard gives her a new name, one that suits who she has become on her arduous journey to the High Places.

I went through a lot in my twenties and early thirties. I didn’t always live to the call for which I knew I was created. After reading the book again, for the umpteenth time, I asked the Father, “God, what is my name? Who do you see me as?” It came to me so clearly, “You are my servant Acceptance with Joy.” Whoa! Really?! I don’t know if that’s a good idea. It sounds a bit loaded if you ask me. I’ll admit I was quite intimidated by the thought of what I would have to “accept with joy” at some point. However, I knew I heard the voice of the Father, so I embraced my God-given name, Joy. Little did I know…

One day, my mama and I were walking through a downtown area, and we were talking about what God was teaching me. I told her about the name that He had given me. She stopped on the sidewalk and looked at me. What I learned next was that I was little baby no-name for a few days after I was born. She had wished to name me Joy, but my parents didn’t agree. How like the Father it is to have the last word!

When it came time to give London a middle name, it just fit. She is our joy, London Joy. We began the next leg of our journey as parents to this precious gift whose name encompassed all our best days and hopes for our future.

One of the things I do now is take pictures of London’s name or things that remind me of her. I thought I would include a few of those pictures today.

For the month of May, I am choosing to take part in a project called “May We All Heal.” This project is a way to share your grief through sharing your story. For more information visit: http://grievingparents.net/may-we-all-heal/mwah2018/