Most people think that we named our son after the character on The Incredibles or our favorite mid-century novelist. The story is a little different than you might think. Brennan and I were having trouble agreeing on the right name. I thought of a few only to be told they were too plain or common. ‘I don’t want anyone else in his kindergarten class to have the same name,’ Brennan would say. He would think of a few only to conjure up for me something that made them unacceptable.

One evening while I was driving to the grocery store, I called Brennan. I had just driven by a cemetery and a surname on a tombstone caught my eye and had me thinking. ‘What about Dash?,’ I called Brennan and asked. After thinking through how we would spell it, if it would be his full name or a nickname, and several other details, we decided it was perfect.

Every parent and pet owner has felt the pressure of picking the perfect name. It is what our loved one will be called their entire life.

Do you know who has a name most special? A name that is above every name?

Philippians 2:10-11 says: At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We, as God’s children, get to use His name to pray, praise and give thanks. There are so many things to be thankful for when we compare the character of God to our own.

• Jesus walked to the cross willingly. I would have run in the other direction. (Isaiah 53)
• When Jesus says something, it is. My words carry far less weight and significance. (Isaiah 55)
• Jesus has been from the beginning and will be forever more. My life is finite. (John 1)
• Jesus always speaks the truth. Unfortunately, I can try but I cannot. (John 14)

Scripture talks about these, and more characteristics of Jesus giving each one a special name. That is why in John 1, Jesus is called Immanuel, God with us.

We invite you and your family to join us in Advent, beginning December 1, as we study together the names of Jesus. See Our Lord in a different way as each name describes our Savior and King. And, by doing so, discover that you are named (Isaiah 43) by God. He calls you redeemed (Matthew 25). This is not because of who you are but because of who He is. Because of His great love, God was not satisfied that we should be what we are but that He would remake our hearts to enjoy fellowship with Him.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

How is that for some Thanksgiving joy?