What the name Hope means to us

Over the past several years I have come to love the prayer found in Ephesians 1:17-19. I have prayed this many times for myself, my family, and for loved ones. It has brought me much comfort, especially during hard times. When I'm looking, God has always shown me His hope.

As we began thinking of a new name for Anjali, this verse kept coming back in my mind as I've seen God answer this prayer many times in our family.

It says, " I ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, to give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe."

I love how this verse tells of our hope that is to come and that it is already here. It is a hope for an eternal inheritance with Christ in heaven as his child and a hope for his supernatural power and strength for today. Seeking this hope (my new identity and His power) has helped change my perspective on so many days, no matter what was happening around me, keeping my focus on what really matters.

I'm sharing this with you because our daughter's identity will change soon; from orphan to heir. She will receive an earthly family and inheritance just as those of us who believe in Christ have also received a new identity and inheritance as part of God's family and his chosen children. Our prayer is for her to one day come to believe in Jesus and experience the hope that is in this prayer. And we also pray that when others hear her name, read about her, or see her face - they will be reminded of the hope to which they too have been called to and remember that they also were once an orphan, but because of God's amazing love and grace, their faith brought them into his eternal family and kingdom forever as his heir.

From day 1 Scott wanted this to be the name of our daughter God chose for us because of the hope she will be able to experience through Christ. He insisted this would be her name and then it was so cool how God confirmed it to me as well. Our plan will be to call her both names for awhile until she is comfortable.

We ask you all to pray for us and for that moment when we see her face for the first time, that we too will be reminded of this amazing truth of God's love for each of us.


Because of Christ,

Kathy