Today is September 17. In just four days, I will board a
plane and go to Abilene Texas to see my son Caleb. Oh yeah, there is also a
lecture series at Abilene Christian University called Summit. I will go to
lectures and classes. I will take notes and think theological thoughts. I
will go to lunch or dinner with old friends from across the country, have a few
laughs and probably eat too much barbecue. But the real reason I go to Abilene
is to see Caleb.
Today is September 17. In just nine days,
my amazing second son will turn 21. Before he was born we wrestled and
debated over what to name him. We were stuck between Jordan and Caleb. We
obviously settled on the latter. He might tell you that we intended to name him
Moses, but not so. Somewhere along the way in his young life he became
convinced that this was true. I assure you it is not!
We eventually settled on Caleb, partly
because we liked it, but mostly because we liked the idea of him being named after
the biblical figure who stood up with Joshua to declare that God was able to
deliver their people when most of his peers thought otherwise. One of my
constant prayers for him has been that the would have that kind of faith and
resolve. Today, I am blessed and grateful to say that he does.
Not long after he was born, a professor of
mine jokingly said to me, “Just don't ever tell him what his name means."
I was a bit put off by that comment, even though I knew he was joking.
You see, caleb is the ancient
Hebrew word for "dog." And my sense is that in the Old
Testament, “You dog!" was not a compliment like it is today ( I'm thinking
specifically of someone like Randy Jackson of American Idol saying 'You go
dog!'). I knew the word caleb meant
dog, but the positive aspects of the story of faith amidst adversity outweighed
the other baggage in my mind.
As Caleb grew and learned what his
name meant, he embraced it. His first email address, which he chose for
himself, was something like faithfuldog@gmail.com. I could relay many stories
about him that would talk about his faithfulness. He wasn't the perfect child,
but then no one is. He has always had a love for books, a precocious bend
toward mischief, and a pair of eyes that can melt your heart. His life has
always been marked by the desire to follow God, look out for the underdog, and
care for others.
When it came time for him to graduate from
high school, the junior high group at church wanted to throw him a party. There
were other graduates that year - and they are all solid, capable people - but
Caleb was the only one that the junior high kids wanted to celebrate. He had
been such a friend and support to the younger ones that they knew they would
miss him, and wanted to throw a party in his honor.
When it came time to choose a college, he
struck out on his own and chose Abilene. This went against the flow of most of
his peers for whom Pepperdine was closer to home and easier to choose. He kept
saying "I just want to get out of California." When I asked him why, he looked at me with a wry smile and said "To get away from you."
We had a great relationship and I knew exactly what he meant. He didn't
really want to get away from me so much as to get out on his own - to take on
the world under his own terms - to figure out what God has designed him to be
and do, away from the shadow of his older brother and the familiar territory of
his family.
Now, he is in his senior year of college.
He is almost 21 and I find that incredibly hard to believe! He is a good and
faithful young man. His life has not been all easy, but he has shown
great character and strength in the face of adversity. He has made a life
for himself in places all his own. He has not been at home with us as much as
we would have liked in the last three years - but I know he feels that loss and
distance as well. He has lived up to his namesake and made his family
proud. As he faces the blessings and uncertainty of another graduation, I am
certain he will take on those challenges with just as much resolve and
creativity. After all, he is a FaithfulDog.
His 21st birthday is September 26, 2014.
If you know and love Caleb as I do, write him a note of encouragement.
You can post it to FaithfulDog93@facebook.com
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