I took a break from writing and posting on my blog during the last weeks of my pregnancy and the first few months of Judah’s life (not so much by choice but rather by the new pace of life if ya know what I mean). So, I thought it would be fitting if my first post back shared the story about Judah - and how he got his name.

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In the summer of 2016, when I was just engaged to be married and before babies were even on my mind, Blake and I heard a Bible teacher sharing from the story of Rachel and Leah in Genesis 29. Leah was unloved and unnoticed by her husband Jacob, even though she was bearing children, while Rachel the favored wife, was not. With each son Leah bore, she expressed her anguish and hope through the name she gave them. Rueban: “Maybe this time I will be loved.” Simeon: “Now the Lord has heard me”. Levi: “Maybe this time my husband will become attached to me”. But despite her hopes and many sons born to Jacob, her circumstances did not change. She was a woman with unmet expectations and in a painful relationship. With the three previous sons she expressed her desire for her life to change, but finally, when she had her son Judah, she said “this time I will praise the Lord”. She stopped trying to get her circumstances to change and instead her heart changed. She chose to praise the Lord before the anwer to her years of longing came. So she named her son Judah which sounds like the Hebrew word “to Praise”. 

In that classroom I was struck by her changed heart and how she praised the Lord. And somewhere deep in my own heart I whispered “I want to name my son Judah some day.”

Judah is my reminder to praise.

Fast forward to the Summer of 2017, just a little over a year later. I knew I was pregnant but we didn’t yet know the gender. Blake and I were attending a worship conference in Austin, Texas with some friends from church. 

During one the opening worship I closed my eyes and immediately saw a picture in my minds eye. I saw myself standing at the back of a sanctuary (much like where we were at the time) worshipping. The room was full of others raising their hands and singing to God. I was swaying to the music holding a baby boy on my hip while singing and praising the Lord. 

As I saw this picture I had one of those special God-thoughts (the kind of thoughts you know are not your own) flash through my mind. I heard: “Through this babe I will teach you how to praise.”

In that moment I knew I was going to have a little boy. Weird as it sounds, I just knew. I also remembered the previous summer and the story of Judah and the choice to praise. So I quietly stored those sweet moments in my heart and kept waiting.

As time moved on and Blake and I began talking about names I was hesitant to share the name Judah. I loved it, but what if he didn’t? But as it turns out, among the short list of names we both liked, Judah was right at the top. Also, he just recently showed me a picture of a list of baby names he had made several years ago and wouldn’t you know it, Judah was right there on the list. 

We were pretty sure we liked the name Judah, and his middle name Reed which is also Blake’s middle name, but kept waiting to decide until the time got closer. During that time we had another fun confirmation that reinforced my belief that our son would be called Judah. 

We were having a prayer time with some friends of ours. My friend Abby was praying for us and she said she heard the word “triumph” over me - specifically for my pregnancy and delivery. She didn’t know the names we were talking about, but I knew the word “triumph” was a connection to Judah’s name.

Revelation 5:5 says “fear not, for the Lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed”. 

Judah. Triumph. 

Lions also started showing up among our baby things, some without prompting. For example, a cousin of mine gave us a bunch of great hand-me-down items - one of which was a bouncy seat with a lion on it. The play gym that I got has a lion on it. His pacifier wubanub is a lion. 

And one of the sweetest things that came about after he was born - a lion name card that went on his NICU crib. That one made me cry. There we were, one day into Judah’s little life, and things were not turning out as I had expected. We had wanted a different birth experience and a chance to bond with our sweet boy once he was born. But instead of a birth center he came early and we needed to be at the hospital. Instead of soaking in the precious first hours together he was taken away and hooked up to tubes and cords. But in the midst of it God was gently reminding me to praise, and reminding me that He would triumph. 

Which of course, he did. We came home just a few days later and boy oh boy, has Judah been a delight. He fits so perfectly into our little family and brings so much joy to our hearts. Every smile, every laugh, every new thing he learns to do, is a reminder to praise. And as I walk through being a mom for the first time, with all its ups and downs, emotions, and challenges, Judah is here as my reminder to praise. 

Through this baby, God is teaching me to praise.