God With Us

So it hit me this morning, like it had never hit me before - God named his son. Like, he had his own "popular names for boys" book and he picked out a name. 

I remember when we were expecting Elliott. When we knew he was going to be a "he" - we knew we'd name him Elliott Thomas. Now, jokingly, I always said that's because his initials would be ET - and forever saddle my son with the name of my all-time favorite movie character. But the reality is, Elliott is my great-grandfather's last name, and Thomas is Katie's grandfather's first name - 2 men important to each of us. 

Ian Paul, well with Ian, I remember doing an online poll to come up with his name.

In the end, though, we didn't go with the winner. We went with Ian, which is the Scottish translation for John - the first name of the doctor who saved Elliott's life as a baby. Weird way to get to Ian, I know. And Paul is my favorite biblical character aside from Jesus. (With hopes that maybe some day Jesus will meet Ian on the road to Damascus....)

The point is - we all put a lot of thinking into what we name our kids. So I'm thinking maybe God did too. 

God said, you shall name him Immanuel, which means: God with us. 

God with us. 

It wasn't God fix us, or God save us, or God change us, or God shame us or berate us - it was God WITH us. In naming his son, God wanted his first message through that baby to be, he is with us. 

I think that's important to remember today, in these challenging times. When we are socially distant and isolated from one another, God is reminding us that he thought long and hard about the name he would give his Son. And he settled on Immanuel.
 
God with us. 

So as we spend more time NOT WITH one another, it might be a great time to reflect on that name - Immanuel. Reflect on the peace and comfort God intended with that name, the promise he made through it. He is with us. Through that name, God promised he will never practice social distancing. 
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He is Immanuel.