Children are a heritage from the Lord,
offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court.
Psalm 127:3-5
I began to pray that my child would be an arrow in the Lord's hands - that he would be a weapon that my Heavenly Father could wield for His glory and purpose. As I prayed and dreamed over the precious baby growing inside of me, Eric and I settled on his name - Jack Ryan. We always loved the name Jack, and Ryan is Eric's middle name, so the spiritual and personal significance of having Jack share his father's name was important to us. We always want our sweet Jack Ryan to remember that he was made in his Heavenly Father's image.
When I was pregnant with my second son, two years later, a Scriptural passage I had read many times was revealed to me through Beth Moore's Breaking Free Bible Study in a new, fresh way that made me smile and cry the moment it was unearthed.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn
and provide for those who grieve in Zion -
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1-3
The Hebrew word for sent in the second verse is shalach, which means to send, or stretch forth. It also is the same verb used to describe shooting arrows to scatter the enemy, as in 2 Samuel 22:15. John 3:16 names Jesus as God's one and only Son. As I pictured God, in His glory and might, standing poised with a bow in His hands, taking aim at the earth and firing His one and only arrow, I wept at the way these Scriptural passages all intertwined so beautifully.
The moment I became aware that I was having another boy, I knew the child was going to be a powerful arrow in God's hands. I felt, (and still do), that he would be involved in the mission field and embrace a lifestyle true to one of the Lord's warriors. Eric and I chose the name Gabriel for our second son, a fitting name for a strong, messenger of God. And as my eyes fell fresh on these verses, Arrow became his middle name. I want my precious Gabriel Arrow to remember who he belongs to, and what his mission is on this Earth.
My third baby boy came by way of surprise, after a year of trying to get pregnant. I had prayed earnestly for a third baby, much like Hannah did in 1 Samuel. It was a year of heartbreak and discouragement and confusion. And then God answered our prayers - in such an unexpected way. As Eric and I were discussing possibilities for names, I felt deep down that the waiting and the way God answered our prayers wasn't something to be overlooked with this child. God had a special plan in place for this baby, that I knew. Through the waiting, I learned how to discern God's voice. He was calling Eric and I say yes to something big - and used this period of waiting to speak to our hearts. The Lord used the year of waiting to shepherd my heart and teach me what His voice sounds like... so Samuel Shepherd became the name of our third baby boy. I want my sweet Samuel to know His Father's voice, and what a gift he is to everyone he encounters.
My three beautiful, strong arrows - Jack, Gabriel and Samuel - are a constant reminder of what God did for me when he sent Jesus to this Earth. I recently bought a necklace bearing three arrows - each arrow representing one of my children, to serve as a reminder of the blessing that they are to me, as well as how I should be spending my time with them. As I look ahead into a new year, one thing I know for sure - these boys have been given to me to equip, teach, encourage and discipline. Proverbs 27:17 reminds me that just like iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. As I approach this new year, my goal remains the same as it always has - to build up the character of my boys so they are confident in who they are, trusting the Lord to guide them. May this year be focused on sharpening my children so that they may be sturdy arrows in His hands, unwavering from their mark, confident in their aim, sure in their journey through life - no matter who or what opposes them.
