Yes, we've named him Levi

Levi - meaning joined, to be fastened to, devote to, knotted.
I know, I know, we're barely paper pregnant and we have already named our son. Your probably wondering how that even happened and why the rush. I have had a few ask so I thought I'd take one opportunity to answer for all those wondering minds who want to know.

First, let me start by saying that I LOVE the name Levi and always have! I have a Canyon, and a Dakota ... how cute will be a "Levi" with those names?

Not reason enough though, I know. I do have more thought provoking reasons rest assured.

So here's the story. For years I have loved the name Levi. Once we began the adoption, names began to wonder around in my head. I'm the Mom that has to plan. I knew that we wouldn't make it long without a name for our son if I had my planners way. We decided on Canyon's name at about 4 months gestation. From the moment I heard it fall off the lips of one of our sweetest friends, we were in love with the name. I mean, listen to the way it sounds "Canyon NIcholas Martine". (By the way, if you don't know me then you might not know that Martine is pronounced "Martini ... like the drink) Dakota, well, that's another story. She was Avery until a month or two prior to delivery when the name Dakota was conceived. I remember during delivery my precious doctor saying "Come on Avery, we're ready to meet you". Quickly, through a contraction and a push, I had to correct her ... "Oh wait, I forgot to tell you, we changed her name ... she's not answering because her name is DAKOTA". Yes, I digress. But in the end, she is such a Dakota!

With Maliah, I was reading "The Lost Daughters of China" when the author was discussing their play group. As she talks about her most recent get together, she throws out a few names and then says the name "Maliah, the perfect mix of an eastern/western name". I loved it but didn't yet know what it meant which through my spiritual growth has become very important to me. I then began to do some research on the name Maliah. It means "Peaceful and Calm". Oh indeed, Lord, we were praying for peaceful and calm. Ironically, Maliah's Chinese Characters for her name "Xiao" meant dignified and gentle. So, I suppose that one day our little ones destiny will be peaceful, calm, dignified and gentle. She hasn't yet arrived at that (to which we are often reminded of by her big brother) ... but, well, we're all a work in progress. It's her destiny. Our peaceful, calm, dignified, and gentle Maliah. Those of you who know her ... STOP LAUGHING! :-)

So that leads us to "Levi".

The days following our "Family meeting" and deciding that we'd be pursuing a brother, I found that my children were calling him things like "Brother" (obviously), but also on a few occasions "it". WHAT? IT? Well, I should point out that "it" came from the four year old who is still solidifying her pronoun usage. In any event, my children's conversations were and are frequently about the newest Martine addition in the home. It seemed only fitting that the person we were discussing and praying for eac night was spoken with a name.
With that, we began to throw around names. We were driving at the time and Daddy wasn't even present actually. As we drove down the road names like "Hunter", "Elijah", "Isaiah" and "Smokey Mo" were tossed out ...

SCREEEEEECH ... did you say "Smokey Mo"?? Yep, I sure did. I told you, we were all involved ... even that crazy 4 year old who had just passed a local restaurant, "Smokey Mo's". O.K. so we weren't really considering EVERYONE'S input.

Then from the mouth of Canyon came "Levi" ... what about "Levi"?

My head about did a 180 degree turn. Man, I knew I loved that boy! YES ... LEVI! I love that name, Levi. His brilliant mind must have been reading my brilliant mind!

Of course, as I always do though, I came home and began to research the name Levi before we solidified our decision. Oh and well, I guess we did need to consult the Daddy too.

You may be asking why we'd consider changing Levi's name in the first place since he will no doubt have a name. First, we have full expectancy of keeping a portion of Levi's Ethiopian name. We definitely do not want to take away the rich history of his culture and people. HOWEVER, saying that, their are so many times in the bible that the Lord changed the name of his people. Why would he do that? Because he had changed their destiny! Indeed, the Lord also has a plan and a destiny for our Levi and so we feel a change of name with his change of destiny is appropriate.

I began to do some research and when I did, I loved what I thought I knew about the name "Levi" and the "Levites" from the bible. Here's a little that I took away;

After the children of Israel had left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea, God called Moses up to Mount Sinai to receive the ten commandments and the pattern of the Tabernacle from God. While Moses was away, a critical problem of idolatry came among the children of Israel, who remained down on the Plain. The tribe of Levi showed itself to be definitely on the Lord's side at that time (Exodus 32:25-28). (Levi was the tribe to which both Moses and Aaron belonged.) As a result of their taking sides with the Lord, the tribe of Levi (the Levites) were selected to take care of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Exodus 38:21).
As a whole, the Levites became responsible for "the service of the work of the Tent of Meeting", the Tabernacle (Numbers 4:3). The Hebrew word translated "service" also means warfare. Therefore their service in the Tabernacle was a figure of spiritual warfare; as with the golden calf incident (Exodus 32). The Levites were on the Lord's side! AMEN!

Secondly,
The Levitical tribe did not receive the same allotment of land as the other tribes did. Rather, as a tribe set apart wholly to serve the Lord, they depended wholly on the Lord as their inheritance, as their source. However, since all the land was Yahweh’s, and there was no limit to His possession, there was also no limit to the inheritance of the Levites. With Yahweh alone as their inheritance, all they had was His, and all of His was theirs. The Lord alone was their inheritance!

And lastly,
Similarly today, those called as Levitical worshippers are so fully given over to Him, totally devoting their lives as a living sacrifice of worship, so completely focussed on his glory and passionately pursuing his presence, that they also say, "The Lord is my inheritance. He alone is my all-in-all. ALL I need, all I am, and all I desire to be is found in Him! He alone is my source, my sufficiency, my everything!" They are consumed with one desire: to see Him lifted up, to give him glory, and to love him above anything or anyone else. Their passionate desire is for him, for His presence

So, indeed, as we pray for Levi, we pray that he is always on the Lord's side! We pray that as he grows and matures in his understanding of our Lord, that he would put no idols and nothing above his unending love for him! Our prayer is that Levi would always be on the Lord's side!
As well, just as the Levites inheritance was in the Lord, so is our Levi's. Though in an earthly sense he will be "knotted" to us and receive our earthly inheritance, we pray that his eternal perspective is that from the beginning of time, just like the Levites, the Lord set him apart to serve the Lord ... and that his inheritance is in HIM ALONE!
Our desire is that our Levi would passionately pursue the presence of our Lord and that ultimately, above anything else or anyone else, he would love and serve him!

So, Levi is the name of our given son! I know with great confidence that he will live into his name ... he is already Chosen and Set apart! Our Lord has a mighty destiny in store!