What's in a name?

What's in a name?

 

We named our children 

Addison Mackenzie and Xavier Thomas

because we liked those names.  

We didn't (and still don't) have a clue what they mean.  

"Thomas" is the only name that came with a purpose - 

Xavier's middle name is my Dad's first name.

Todd and I both decided when we chose a name for our son from Africa, we wanted a rich meaning.  Africans choose names based on meanings, not likes.  This was a way we could honor his heritage.

Our son was abandoned so he didn't have a name (or age).  

The orphanage director named him when 

he was brought to the orphanage. 

He was named "Safari", a Congolese name.

I was mainly worried that people would look at us and think "Really?  They adopted a cute little boy from 

Africa and couldn't come up with anything better?"

When we researched the name Safari we found it means "journey".

How appropriate.  

He is on a journey...  to our family.

We liked it! 

We decided to keep it as his middle name.  

Next was deciding his first name. 

We didn't really have any "set-aside" names 

we had thought about and liked; 

nothing we had been saving for that moment.

After really looking over possible names online, 

I ran across a name I liked 

and then I saw the meaning 

and instantly knew I had found our son's name.

 

Zaine Safari 

Zaine means "God's gracious".  

Safari means "journey".

Our son's name means "God's gracious journey".

It makes me smile just thinking about 

how God is going to use Zaine.  

God has been gracious to Zaine.  

He's been gracious to each of us.  

And He continues to be gracious with each 

      of us on our journeys through life.