Now for a Middle Name

With our first name decision resolved because we trained ourselves to think of this child as Claire during all the months of waiting...and waiting...and waiting, we need to think about the rest of the name.

Last name is easy.  Dang means she belongs to the state. It has to go. Robinson means she belongs to us.It is here to stay for a very long time.

So, that leaves the middle name.
And, that requires a short story.

Ana and Jenny came from very difficult pasts and hard, hard places.  They brought much of their pain into our family.  There were so many days when I cried out to God in desperation, pleading with Him to bring healing and restoration.  There were days when I simply cried out in exhaustion, asking Him to make it end.

He always reassured me with Psalm 30:5.    Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.

When we were praying about adopting again, God kept reminding me that joy comes in the morning.

We moved forward with this adoption trusting that God knows what He is doing.

Once our homestudy was finished and preliminary paperwork completed, we could ask for information about Claire.  It was then that we learned her legal name:  Kai chen.   It means a clear morning.  Probably it signifies that she was discovered in the morning of a bright, clear day.   To me, it is a promise.  Not a promise that there will be no pain associated with this adoption. I know better than that.  No, it is a promise that tells me not to be afraid to risk entering into the painful places in obedience to God's plan. It is a promise that He will bring joy as we walk forward in faithful obedience to all He asks.

So, Kaichen is a name we will keep.  It is a name full of hope and promise.  It is a name that feels like confirmation of our desire to follow God.  It is a name that feels like a smile from my heavenly Father.