Nathanael Oak

Gib and I absolutely love the process of naming our children. For us, it's less about our favorite names at the moment and more about waiting together, praying together and talking about the identity we want to bestow upon our kids. We also believe, and it's been our experience, that our God is a very personal God who speaks to our hearts, and so an important part of our naming process is listening to what we feel like He is saying about the names. That may sound strange to some people, but it's become so normal for us.

With Levi Blaze, it's been a blast to watch his personality develop and be such a reflection of his name. We waited several hours after his birth to name him, and Levi Blaze was the clear choice for us. We love it, and I can't imagine him with any other name.

But, as pregnancies are different and kids are different, the naming process this time around was also very different.

Nathanael's naming process actually began before we were pregnant and came very unexpectedly! I have a note in my phone that I love to go back and reference, and it's dated January 15, 2012 at 11:13 a.m. I was sitting in a church service at my parents' church, and to be honest, I had sort of tuned out. Gib had taken Levi, who was almost one year old, out into the hall to sing him to sleep, and my mind started to wander just as the sermon was beginning.

As the pastor began speaking on John 1:43, my attention somehow refocused, and I felt the story come alive as only God can do with His word. John 1:47-51:

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."

Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." 

And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Wow. What a powerful scene. The faith of Nathanael, the way Jesus sees him, and Jesus' promise for him.

I sat in awe reflecting on this Scripture, somewhat puzzled about why these verses had captured my heart as they had, when I felt like the Lord was speaking to my heart very clearly. And though it sounded bizarre at the time, I felt with complete confidence that what He was saying was that Gib and I would have a Nathanael.

Wow.

I remember getting up to go find Gib out in the hallway to tell him, and I love his matter-of-factness. His reaction? "Ok!" And so it was, that if we were to have another child, and that child was a boy, he would be Nathanael.

The meaning of Nathanael is "God has given," which we love.

Nathanael's middle name came about from Gib. Isaiah 61 has been a cornerstone verse for us this year. It's been a part of Scripture that we've meditated on, prayed aloud, and talked about. The words themselves are powerful and beautifully written, and we've had some incredible spiritual and emotional revelation in reading this chapter countless times:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives… to grant to those who mourn in Zion -- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. (emphasis mine)

When Gib suggested Oak as a middle name, we loved the meaning of this Scripture, as well as the physical associations we have with an oak tree - strength, sturdiness, with healthy roots firmly planted by streams of water, as described in Psalm 1:1.

In addition, an incredibly powerful story for me is the story of David and Goliath, found in 1 Samuel 17. David, the man described as being after God's heart, whom God anoints as king much to his family's surprise, defeats Goliath in the Valley of Elah. The meaning of the Valley of Elah is "valley of the oak."

Nathanael Oak: God has given, a man of faith and without deceit who will see greater things, a strong oak, a place of victory, a promise of transformation for others through righteousness. We already stand amazed at this perfect little boy God has given us, and we wait expectantly and excitedly to see what the Lord has in store for him!