You are the fourth little boy God has given to our family, which means that a fair number of boy names have already been employed in our little clan. But nevertheless, we love the name that God gave us for you, and it comes with many prayers for His hand to be strong in your life from your earliest days, to make you a lover of Jesus and pointer to His grace always.
"Calvin," as it turns out, means "bald." It may not seem the noblest of names, as far as that goes (though other worthy men have been called similar things). But the primary reason we chose Calvin for your name is a man named John Calvin, who lived many years ago. He was a pastor, a lover of God and lover of people, and God used him in very great ways.
Here are a few ways we hope that God will shape your heart like your namesake's:
John Calvin saw this world as God’s theater where God's glory is always on display. God's fingerprints in everything--in all of creation and every moment of your life--we pray you will be continually growing in wonder at how big and grand God is.
Calvin was absorbed and convinced that the most important thing in the universe was the glory of God. We are made to revel in that glory ... not to try to snag some of it for ourselves. We will find our hearts' deepest satisfaction and most overflowing joy as we behold His greatness! So our whole lives grow in meaning and gladness when we point others to see and marvel in how great is our God.
Calvin loved God's Word, and in the Bible he saw Jesus lifted up as the greatest One for our hearts to seek after. Every verse has pointers and whispers to the greatness of God and the staggering gift of grace that He has given in His Son.
Calvin was an influencer. As we seek God to be the greatest influence in your life, we also pray that God will use you to move others toward Him as well.
The verse that came to me for you is this:
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5).May your eyes always be fixed on Jesus and your heart confident, resting fully on His strong grace.
Your middle name "David" is also in honor of a great man. Of course, King David received one of the highest commendations in the Bible, being called "a man after God's own heart." And Daddy has been recently reading about and reflecting on God's work in David's life.
But in fact, you are named after another David, David Livingston, a.k.a. Grandpa David, who has been boss, friend, and one of the "northern parents" God has gifted to me.
Within just a few weeks after I graduated from college in 2004, I began working for Pastor David at Bethlehem. Along with some other pastors over the course of years, I got to work for him clear up to your biggest brother's birth in 2012. He was, of course, a great boss, but more than that he and Karin, with characteristic grace and hospitality, just welcomed me into their home and family and have become irreplaceably dear as counselors, mentors, examples, and friends.
Pastor David gave Daddy a thorough investigation when he first expressed interest in getting to know me, and when God brought us together, Daddy got welcomed into the Livingstons' hearts too.
Pastor David has taught me very much about prayer, showing his own great confidence in God through calling out to him in prayer meetings, hallway conversations, hospital rooms, meetings, and almost any other corner of life. His influence has given me a greater love and desire to be a fervent-pray-er-without-ceasing to our wonderful, hearing God.
Pastor David has demonstrated great love for others, including a pastoral, shepherding heart through many difficult circumstances when it would have been far easier to simply step away from a relationship and pursue another direction altogether. He is tenacious in friendship and remarkable in recall for peoples' names, circumstances, and stories.
David and Karin (Grandpa David and Nana) have already visited you and prayed for you, a gift and legacy of which only eternity will show the full fruit.
So, little son, your names are reminders and pointers to jars of clay who have nevertheless been filled greatly with the grace of God. May He be pleased to take your life and heart and similarly use them to show others His great glory.
We love you so, Calvin David!
Momma
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