I found out this week that we’ll be having a grandson in December. His name is Samuel James. My heart is overjoyed.

Samuel comes from the Hebrew word שְׁמוּאֵל (shemu’el). It appears to be a combination of the root “to hear” (שׁמע, shm’) and “God” (אֵל, el). Taken this way, it means something like “heard by God.” In Scripture, Hannah named her son Samuel because God heard her prayer for a son (1 Sam 1:20).

James come from Ἰάκωβος (Iakōbos), the Greek form of the Hebrew name Jacob. James was a dear friend of my daughter and son-in-law’s who passed away when was only 18 years old. Just as our daughter’s middle name (Paula) reminds us of a college friend who’s now with the Lord, so our grandson’s middle name will remind us of a greater life beyond this life.

If I seem weepy to you these days, there’s good reason for it. I pray blessings over the child, and I can’t do so without tears.

May His favor be upon you
And a thousand generations
And your family and your children
And their children, and their children