Richard Tobias

Well, it is official...we are having a boy!!   We will be naming him Richard Tobias and will be calling him Tobias.  Richard means "strong" and Tobias means "God is good." 

Many of you may not know, but on August 8, 1992, my brother, Richard, was killed in a private plane crash.  It was definitely a very difficult event in the life of my family.  I was only 13 at the time of his death.  I hadn't really had to deal with death before.  Sure, I had lost a great-grandparent or two, but they were old, so it just seemed right that their time was up.  My brother was so young...his death was so unexpected.  It totally rocked my world.  I had grown up going to church here and there, but didn't really have a saving faith.  I heard about God and believed that there was a God.  I knew Jesus was His Son, but had never surrendered my life to Him.  I can remember feeling so out of control...not only had my brother just died, but I was starting high school in a new town after living three years overseas in England.  There was many days that I plotted how to end my life.  The day had finally come when I was going to take my life down on the shore of Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, NY.  I was getting ready to take my life when I heard a voice say, "You will either follow Me or you will turn your back on Me."  I had no idea what this meant, but it was enough to shake me to the core and stop me from taking my life.  It wouldn't be until almost four years later that that comment made sense...when I surrendered my life to Jesus...it was God speaking to me. 

The meaning of Richard..."strong" has great significance to me.  When I was weak, God was strong for me.  There have been many other times in my life when God has been strong for me, but that day on the shore of Lake Champlain definitely stands out.  The meaning of Tobias..."God is good" is also an appropriate name for our son.  Almost twenty years later, I can stand back and see how God has used my brother's death in so many ways to minister to people.  God took a tragedy and has used it to bring Him glory...and to me that is goodness.  Even though there are times I don't understand why this had to happen to our family, I know God is in control and He sees the BIG picture. 

I know that the day that Richard Tobias is born will be a joyful day, but like with all of our children a part of me will wish that their uncle could be there to meet them.  But God will be my strength, and I will sit there in the labor and delivery room and know that I can honestly say that "God is good."