We’ve had a lot of comments about the naming of our new son this week. Everyone has been so responsive. I was actually able to have an encouraging conversation with my son’s pediatric nurse Patsy on Monday morning about the name of our newborn who was actually familiar with the man who inspired us to name him what we did. I’m a pretty sentimental man, so I’d like to share with you the thinking that went into naming not only the newest member of our family, but also our first-born son James.
James Landon Frymire
17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
James 1:17
We had a plan. Bethany and I were going to wait five years and then conceive our first child. It was one piece of our marriage plan that we thought we could control. We are obviously not against the use of contraception. The trouble with plans, however, is that the most usually change. It could be a minute detail or a total and complete 180 degree turn. But, our Father has a way of revealing a will that is far more appropriate even if we tend to deem it uncomfortable or inconvenient. So, in 2008 when we were supposed to be having our first child we were instead engaged in a fight for our marriage. The details are far to numerous to disclose in this offering, but I’m sure they will come along at some point in this new writing experience. In a nutshell (random Austin Powers visual now parades through my mind…sorry!), I’m a recovering sex addict. Yes, I know…even I begin trying to clarify and qualify that statement as I hear it spoken from my lips. But, that is not the point here, just a detail. My sin landed us in counseling with a brilliant and Holy Spirit filled man named James Eubanks. He was, I think, the Director of Pastoral Counseling at First Baptist Woodstock in 2007 at the time of my confession. There were many pain filled, yet freedom giving sessions with James. It was during this time that I began to walk in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, albeit with a considerable limp[shout out to an aquaintenancefriend(yes I did that on purpose) Sy Rogers]. The last half of 2007 through early 2009 were critical to my now present ministry. My Heavenly Father healed significant wounds, beliefs were corrected, and behaviors began to more reflect the reality of my relationship with Jesus Christ. Bethany, through the grace of God, forgave me and our relationship began to function in such a way that a child would be a blessing not a project or distraction from our own relational dysfunction. So, to tie it all back to “The Plan”, God knew that it would take more than 5 years to prepare my heart to father a son. I am so thankful for His forbearance, faithfulness, and forgiveness. Just before we “graduated” from counseling Bethany and I decided that our first born son would bear the name of the man who was so instrumental in reshaping and discipling me into the man God had created me to be. So, on June 21, 2010 we named our precious little boy James. And just to show you how much our Father loves the families we are born into, the name James is represented on both sides of our family by some incredible men (James Edward Wise, Bethany’s Father, & James William Johnson or J.W. or Bill as my loving and greatly missed uncle was named, thus providing us a way to honor many great men in our lives).
Read about Silas Emmett Frymire tomorrow.
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