Parenting & Religion: Giving my child a Christian name

Until people point it out to me, I rarely take note of how spiritual I am. I am a praying woman, and while I have a many lingering thoughts regarding Christianity and other religions for that matter- I strongly believe that there is a higher power that exists for my good, which science cannot justify.

Growing up in a Christian household, church was somewhat forced upon us as children. It was not something we could negotiate our way out of unless my father intervened and allowed us to miss the odd session every other Sunday. So Sunday school became a crucial part of our lives. I later attended a Catholic Primary School, so no matter how much I could’ve wanted to avoid it, Christianity was to play a very vital role in my foundation as a human being.

I had a very emotionally draining pregnancy. Those nine months were the most frustrating period of my life. Mostly because I am very uncomfortable with uncertainty. I was worried whether or not I would have a healthy child, would I be a great mom, would I be financially, mentally and emotionally stable enough to raise and sustain her life etc. When the anxiety got too much I would talk to whoever was willing to listen with the hope that it would ease the nervousness. And when I realised that jabbering digressively to my sisters and the midwife was not giving me joy because they were also not able to give me the answers I needed, or too busy living their own lives, I turned to prayer. Praying felt like I was lifting huge weights off my shoulders and that I was speaking to someone who actually listened, and cared to hear what I had to say. It also gave me a form of enlightenment that felt like I was receiving sound advice to navigate this life thing and each prayer constantly felt like I was having a conversation with a long lost friend. By the time I was almost due to give birth, my hope had birthed optimism, and I had all the faith in the world that things would be great. Those prayers brought me closer to God.

It's therefor no surprise that when my friends and family gave name suggestions for my daughter Yama Ngokholo stood out for me. Loosely translated to English it means lean on faith. During the last weeks of my pregnancy and the first few weeks of being a mom, I had nothing but faith like potatoes, and I want nothing less for her. What's in a name, right?

It took a while for us to do the going to church thing though. Even though the first time I intentionally introduced her to Christianity was on the first day I met her I only started taking her to church when she was about 2 years old. I thought we were both ready. She was still a bit young to comprehend, but she really enjoyed the singing and the odd snacks she wouldn’t otherwise indulge in if she was home. We don't go every week- I can't. Online service comes in very handy :) We also pray every night before going to bed, because she needs to get into the hang of speaking intimately without the fear of being judged. But most importantly, she is learning valuable lessons on morals and principled behavior and that is all that I wish for her at this stage.

And for the rest of her life- I just want for her to hold on, lean on, and have faith like potatoes.

#Religion #Parenting #Christianity