ETHAN

Wise beyond his years. Eager to please, quick to comfort, a bright young man.

Ethan is our oldest child of four (living). He was not planned by us, but God knew how important he would be in our lives. He was originally going to be named Brett. Arnaud and I had agreed upon this name after our first ultrasound, even though we did not yet know if he was a boy. I just had this 'feeling' that I was carrying a son. Brett was a bold name. A strong name. Plus, it was cool.

Again, our plans were revised by God.....as He had a different name in store for our firstborn.


I traveled to France in my sixth month of pregnancy, to share the news of our pregnancy with Arnaud's family. Once the shock wore off (for them!), we began planning for the upcoming changes in our lives.


At the time of our visit, Arnaud's grandfather was in the last stages of his life and in hospital. I had met him once before, and formed an immediate bond. His first words to me (in French) were, "Sarah, did you know your name is in the Bible?" When I answered in the affirmative, he beamed from ear to ear. I was told later that day that it was the first time his family had seen him smile in a long time.


I had wanted to visit him one last time, but my future mother-in-law thought it best I didn't. She didn't want me to remember him so sick, and he wasn't conscious to remember me. I was disappointed and heartbroken, but I respected her wishes.



One morning, I had a vision. It was so clear and seemed so real. In the vision, I was sitting beside his grandfather, saying goodbye. I asked him to say 'Hi' to God for me, and he replied, "You can say 'Hi' yourself, He's all around!" He then placed his hand on my bulging abdomen and told me that this baby boy would do great things in this life. He then said the baby's name, but I didn't quite understand....so he said, "Don't worry, it's in the Bible."



I felt almost as if I had been there in his hospital room, and I was at peace, knowing that I had said my goodbyes.



I didn't think much of the details of the message, as I was yet to begin my relationship with Christ, but when Arnaud heard about it, he immediately blurted out, "What do you think of the name Ethan?"



Ethan.

It was okay....I didn't know anyone else with this name, so I guess it was an option. I replied, "I like it, but I don't think it's in the Bible."



That day, Arnaud's grandfather passed away. We spent the afternoon mourning with family, and later that night, I snuggled beside Arnaud on the couch to watch a movie. I told him that we should look 'Ethan' up on the computer, to see what it meant. Since hearing the name that morning, I became less and less a fan of Brett.

The confirmation that this indeed would be our child's name came when we found the origins via 'google'. Ethan was, in fact, a name found in the Bible. It's meaning is 'firmness, long-lived'. He has certainly lived up to his name (the firmness part, anyway!).

On more than one occasion, I have seen glimpses of the greatness that God has in store for him. I pray each day that I can follow God's Will for his upbringing. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, he answers, "A priest and a doctor."

Ethan.