A name is a powerful thing. Obviously it defines who you are, but in the Bible, names also served to mark significant encounters with God (Jacob, Paul, Abraham), once again reiterating just how meaningful a name can be. In knowing this, we wanted a meaningful name for our baby girl. I would like to say we gave it months of serious thought and consideration; however, we really decided on it right away.
{EVIE}
meaning: life
We chose Evie, because, well we liked
it. It's pretty, strong, and easy to say (which is important when your mom is
an SLP, assessing your every phoneme). I would like to say there was more to it
than that, but it really was just that easy. Big added bonus- I found out later
that Eva is also a family name on my dad's mom's side, which makes it even more
special.
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{JACQUELYN}
meaning: to protect
To us, it was very important Evie
was named after strong, Godly women. We wanted her to not only have these women
to look up to, but specific characteristics of theirs' to aspire to as well. We
wanted to be able to use her own name as a teaching/parenting tool in the
future. When "teaching opportunities" arise, we want to be able to
tell her why we chose her name, the kind of women she was named after, and
ultimately about the kind of person God calls her to be. Luckily, we did not
have to look too far. Tate and I were blessed with not one, but
two Grandma Jackies!
My Grandma Jackie {Jacquelene}, my
mom's mom, met the Lord on our wedding day in 2009, and Tate's Grandma Jackie
{Mary Jacqueline}, his dad's mom, joined her in Heaven last summer. We were
very fortunate to have these strong, fun, loving influences in our lives for
23-27 years. Both were similar in many ways, other than just their names.
After deciding on the middle name, I
gave us some homework:
Tate and I were to pick just 3
traits/characteristics that we admired about our Grandma Jackies. These were to
be things that defined these women, but also things that we wanted Evie to
aspire to. We were to write our lists separately, then share them together. On
one of our walks this weekend, I asked Tate if he finished his
"homework." He said that he hadn't written it down, but had an idea
of what he wanted to choose. Good, me too. Funny thing- when we compared our
list, we had picked the SAME 3 traits/characteristics! What are the chances? I
couldn't believe it. So, listed below are the 3 characteristics that describe
Jacquelene & Mary Jacqueline:
1. Genuine interest in others
"The King will reply, 'Truly I
tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters
of mine, you did for me."
[Matthew 25:40]
{Danielle-} Grandma Jackie saw the
best in others and took care of everyone around her. She made meals for people, gave rides to church, and took little Mrs. Giles to the grocery store. She
knew specific details of everyone she came in contact with- whether it be the
mailman, insurance agent or annoying solicitor calling. She could tell you how
many grandkids they had and where they went to high school. And if she didn't
know, she asked questions, lot of them, but in a completely genuine, interested
way. People felt comfortable around her, able to share personal aspects of
their life. She was approachable and trustworthy. She saw value and potential
in everyone, including me, which is where much of my confidence came from.
Every time we went to visit I would bring pics of my new dorm room or last
vacation, because I knew she would want to know every detail.
{Tate-} Grandma was always curious
about what was going on in my life, not only personally, but with all of my
friends as well. When Grandma had a conversation with someone, she not only
spoke, but listened to them and was genuinely interested in what was said.
One of my favorite memories of Grandma's interest in my life was when she
told me that she had to be the first person I called when I kissed a girl for
the first time! Well, when that time came, she was the first to know. Grandma
wanted to know every detail of her grandkids lives and truly made me feel
special by always wanting to know what I was up to.
2. Joy
"I will be glad and rejoice in
You, I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High."
[Psalm 9:2]
{Danielle-} Grandma Jackie was able
to laugh at herself, and it happened quite often...usually when playing games
like Rack-o or Scattegories. I love that she didn't take herself seriously and
often laughed until she was out of breath. If she misspoke or missed something,
rather than getting frustrated, she would just laugh in response, causing you
to laugh too. She always wanted to hear a new story, play a game, paint our
nails, just enjoy the moment and the company. Despite the circumstances, she
always had a calming, joyful spirit. This was due to her faith in Christ,
ultimately knowing all things would work out according to His plan.
{Tate-} Grandma was truly a
character. She loved playing games with the family, laughing at jokes,
yelling at trucks in the no truck lane, and telling people "same to you
mister!" I can't ever remember Grandma being in a bad mood or bent
out of shape when things didn't go her way. Grandma truly lived a joyous
life. Even when her health was failing, Grandma began her daily diary
entry the same way " This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and
be glad in it." Grandma never took herself too seriously, and always had a
smile on her face, even when she slid out of her chair and couldn't get back in
it! I will always remember her smile and laugh, and the joy she had in
knowing she would be with her Savior in Heaven when her time on earth was over.
3. Perseverance
"Consider it pure joy, my
brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know
that the testing of your faith produces perserverence. Let perseverance finish
its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything"
[1 James 2-4]
{Danielle-} This word describes
Grandma Jackie best. Due to her long illness, she had every reason to give up;
however, she never did and never once complained about it. She fought for every
breath, but still climbed the steps each Sunday to teach 4-year-old Sunday
School and trekked through the rain to get to my graduation, even though she
knew she would be sick for days. If she couldn't go to rehab, she would lift
cans of corn in the living room for exercise. She never let her misfortune
become an excuse to be or do anything less than what she expected of herself
and she was always serving others, despite her situation. She fought humbly
through those long, tough years, serving others along the way.
{Tate-} Grandma was strong,
determined, and persevered through everything. Grandma knew long before anyone that she was sick, but didn't complain and didn't let it get her down. After she was diagnosed
with cancer, I told her I was going to do Ironman in her honor and that I
wanted her to be at the finish. This was asking a lot, but Grandma
persevered through pain, speech and physical therapy, and countless hard days
to be there. She was determined to be there with the family at the finish
line, no matter the cost on her health or comfort. Grandma never let her
condition get her down, and persevered through lung and brain surgery to get to
spend more time with her family, and spread JOY to everyone she came in
contact with.
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{BARRETT}
Well, what can I say? She kinda got
stuck with this one, so good luck to you, sister!
