We Named (Another) Baby!
If you’ve been following my blog since May of 2014, then you’ll remember this post when I explained why and how we decided on our first son’s name, Justus Zafer. Well, we’ve done it again!
I am so pleased to introduce you to little Miss Haven Nura. I mentioned this with Justus: I love naming babies, but it is a terribly sobering event! Jeremy and I love names that are unique enough in America, but also will let our little fair-haired, blue-eyed children have some access to the countries and cultures that we love and live in. We also love names that have deep meanings, to be reminders to us as their parents and hopefully to be driving forces in these little humans for the rest of their lives. We want their names to point to and be steeped in Gospel truths. We want people to ask us why we named them that, and give us the opportunity to walk through a door that will share the hope we have in Christ. So . . .
the pronunciation: Haven Nura: HAV-en – NOR-a
the meaning: haven of light & hope: Haven = a safe place; Nura = light (in Turkish, Arabic, and Kurdish)
*Also: her nickname is Havi Nur or Havi, which in Kurdish means hope. It couldn’t really have gotten much more perfect than that for us!
why we love it: A haven of light. A safe place. Hope. As you may know, Jeremy and I work with and are friends with refugees and people who have seen ISIS first-hand and have spent days sheltering on the mountain with little food or water. Do you know what they long for? A safe place. I have friends and family members who have gone through some really hard times with health or relationships. You know what they long for? A safe place. For Jeremy and I ourselves, we have never had a place to call home for more than a year at a time. That can be disorienting and cause us to long for . . . can you guess? A safe place. And you know what? Jesus is just that. He is a haven for our souls, our hurting hearts. He offers a rest that nothing and no one else can. He is a beacon of light in a world filled with darkness. He is our hope.
We want our little Havi Nur to radiate that hope and light to people around her. We want people to see in her a light that they can’t help but come to, and when they come, we hope that she will share the good news of Jesus with them and offer the hope and light that He can give through the Gospel. We know that this little girl is not going to provide answers or places of safety like people need, but we hope and pray that she will be a little glimmer that allows the Father to shine through her, to radiate His glory off of her, and that because of her, people would find the safety that they crave in Jesus.
And you know what? I need to be reminded of that all the time. I need to be reminded that it is the light of God’s glory and the hope of the Gospel that provide the safety I want, not secure relationships or a great house or perfect health. Real safety is found in Christ alone.
So, Haven . . . Arise, shine!
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
Isaiah 60:1-5
