Naming Grace

GRACE: “Unmerited divine assistance give humans for their regeneration or sanctification.” We chose this name for our second baby mainly because we liked it and also because our friend Grace is a wonderful person to be named after and we feel like we owe her a lot after the birth of Nora. I really like this definition though. I think it is very fitting. This baby has already taught me a lot about who is really in charge here. We did not plan on getting pregnant with this baby and if you must know, based on science and other things that should be fairly trustworthy, it is a miracle that she ever came into existence. However, as we all know, sometimes God has plans for our lives that differ from our own. We definitely wanted more babies, but maybe not quite so soon. Baby Grace reminds me over and over that I am so lucky to be pregnant. It was so easy this time. I think back to our miscarriage and then to the year we tried to get pregnant before Nora. Those were hard times. I was trying so hard to have things my own way. I feel like such a baby when I look back at that time. I could not fully trust that God was loving when he took away the only thing I have ever really wanted and then seemed to not want to give it again. I will never say that the miscarriage was a good thing, because I still do not understand and probably never will, but I can say that God has blessed us so much since that time. He did hear our pleas and feel our sorrow. He was sad because we were sad and all he asked us to do was to wait a little while. I’m not sure that having this baby is what will sanctify me or according to Timothy save me, but I do feel like there was divine assistance in our lives. God knew that this baby needed to come into the world at this time, and has chosen us to bring her up. What a wonderful gift we have been given. I do not know a lot about this little girl yet, but I know she is wanted. I also know she is undeserved and I feel so blessed for this gift I never even asked for. The word Grace is also used to talk about thanks. (Gracias in Spanish, saying “grace” at mealtime). Now that Gracie is here, I will add that not only do I feel like I have been given something wonderful that I do not deserve, I also feel such gratitude. I am thankful for a healthy baby. I am thankful for an exceptional birth. I am also so thankful for an easy transition into nursing and also being the mother of 2! Grace is indeed the most fitting name for this baby and for this season of our lives.