A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.
Proverbs 22:1
Dear Wyatt Edward and Morgan Bascombe,
Naming the two of you, being the writer of your names, is my favorite piece of work I've ever committed to paper. That paper being your birth certificates. Your Daddy and I prayed over your names and knew we wanted more for you than to have the cool, trendy "Baby Name of the Year" with the perfect amount of syllables. We wanted your names to reflect your family, your God, and your future.
It's been snowing these past two days. I've had time to sit in front of a fire place with a cozy blanket, wearing my favorite purple knit beret and write to you about your names. Because names are important. They don't make us into who we are automatically, but they give us something in which to aspire. My precious sons, these are my aspirations for you.
Wyatt Edward:
You are unlike any person I know. Your incredible wisdom sometimes causes you great sensitivity and even anger. I'm sure it's confusing to have such insight about such a world at such a young age. (This I write as you are telling fart jokes to your little brother.)
Wyatt means "brave in battle" or "warrior." We chose this name for you because your dad's name means "warrior," too. And this is my hope for you. That you will fight and be brave, carrying the banner of the LORD wherever you go, knowing he is a Rock and a Fortress and a very present Help in times of trouble. Hope and faith in a living God will make you brave. Use these gifts of courage to change the world. You are so capable of it.
Edward comes from your dad's grandfather, Ralph Edward Smith. His middle name was actually Edmund at birth, but he hated it so much he told everyone it was Edward. And I'm glad he did. Edward: "wealthy guardian." Because you are. No wealth in terms of earthly riches...sorry. Your parents are a pastor and a teacher. But in terms of the great love and knowledge of Jesus, you are the Bill Gates of heavenly riches. Billions on this planet yearn for the knowledge you've gained already - that the whole point of this life is to glorify a good and saving God. Guard this wealth with your whole heart. Let it be your treasure. Guard this wealth against impurity, cowardice, and superiority. A guardian knows what his treasure is worth. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21) And how I pray for your heart to be His.
Morgan Bascombe:
You are joy and fun. You are happiness. You are the twinkle in an eye. You are a giggle and a shout all in one. You are a Momma's Boy in the best sense of the term.
Morgan Earp was a younger brother whom Wyatt Earp loved dearly. We wanted you, too, to be a dearly loved brother of a Wyatt. (And you are.) Morgan comes from the Welsh "Morcant," Mor meaning "sea" and cant meaning "circle." A sea-circle. Both endless. When you think of your name, think of how beloved you are to your Mother and Father, how our love for you is as "boundless as the sea." But even more so, remember God, the Creator of the sea who loves you. He considers you a far loftier and beloved creation than any of the waters on earth.
Bascombe is the middle name of my grandfather, Posey Bascombe Glenn. It was also the middle name of his father. Your great Uncle David's middle name is Bascombe, as well. No one else in the family carried it, so we can only assume it came from a family friend or a notable figure of the day. Bascombe is a very old surname. It came with the Normans to England when they conquered it in 1066. Their coat of arms states, "Nothing is too difficult for the Faithful and Brave." And your faith in God's goodness, mercy, salvation, and the hope He brings to all people will provide all the bravery you'll ever need. Fear is not an option to those whose faith is placed in the Lord. "But now, this is what the LORD says-- he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1) You are called of God and have been redeemed by Him. My prayer is that you feel His call all throughout your life and own your rights as a fellow heir of Jesus Christ.
Boys, we do not immediately become the meaning of our names. Some people never know the meanings of their names. But you do. They were carefully crafted while you were being carefully crafted in the womb. Your names call you to great things in the Lord, to forget yourselves and to fight for a Savior who gave His life for you. Time in this world is dwindling away and there are so many who do not know the riches and fullness of a life lived in Jesus. So you, my boys, go and live out your names. You faithful warriors, you guardians, you who are dearly loved.
xxoo
Mommy
January 2016
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