And she shall be called....

As many of you know, I've been wrestling with the decision over what we will call our daughter, Virginia Grace.  When we first chose the name, we didn't really intend for it to be used as a double name. But when we saw our little girl's face and realized she looked so much like a "Grace," we wondered if we would use that name rather than Virginia. We both loved the simplicity of each name on its own, but we weren't sure which one to choose. 

In the meantime, we (and everyone else) became used to calling her Virginia Grace.  I have loved both names for over a decade and thought that maybe I should use them separately with the risk that we may never have another daughter.  But we loved the two names together too, and so her name was chosen when we began the adoption process.  

Our concern now is that a double name is long and may be hard for our sweet China girl to learn and pronounce, especially since English will be a foreign language to her. The damage to her tongue from the tumor removal may pose some speech problems as well.  So, Scott and I finally reached a decision. We will call her Grace. This is what Carter has called her all along. And in so many ways, this name seems so appropriate and fitting.  

But, just to add some confusion to the mix, we will also use "Virginia Grace" on occasion. Just as a mom might call her son Christopher and Chris, or a daughter Katherine and Kat, our daughter will have her full name and her nickname.  I am embroidering a pillow with the full name, and her sippy cup labels have Virginia Grace on them too.  I just thought I'd explain so I don't confuse people when I use the names alternately. :)  

We've also been asked what her monogram will be since Xue has been carried over from her Chinese name and used as a second middle name.  Her monogram will simply be VBG.

I can't wait to share what Grace's Chinese name means in full, but we are required to wait until after she is home with us before I share her full name on the blog. 

One more thought to share about our child's name.... as I've written before, we were heartbroken when we had to turn down the referral of a beautiful girl with a special need much more severe than we felt prepared to handle.  That night, after an emotional 36 hours of research, discussion, decision-making, and prayer, I lay in bed with my husband and poured out my tears and anger to God. I felt like He had taken away yet another baby, as I had first believed this child was meant to be ours.  I will share more in another post, but I had not been dealing well with my grief from the most recent miscarriage, and that night, I told God that I hated Him. I soon repented, but the important part of this story is that God didn't hold this against me. In fact, I believe He was relieved that I was finally being real and honest with Him rather than pretending that we were okay.  I needed to deal with my emotions rather than just trying to be strong. The most amazing part of this story is that after being (momentarily) rejected by His daughter, God showed me Grace the very next day and gave Scott and me the gift of our daughter.  If that doesn't testify to the unfailing love and goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ, I don't know what does. 

I hope you will ponder how God has shown you grace lately. I think sometimes we completely miss it.  He gives us new mercies every morning, and I wonder how many days I've passed through without accepting them. As promised, I will share more of my experience from that night in a later post. But for now, I'll end with a passage that has become one of my most treasured Scriptures. 

        I remember my affliction and my wandering, 

      the bitterness and the gall. 

I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  

Lamentations 3:19-23