I wanted to share with you an experience that happened to me relating to your name. It was a tender experience and I'm just so surprised and amazed.
Let me start by reminding you about something that happened the day you were born, the moment you were born. Your birth story was a little wild and crazy, only making it to the hospital about 6 minutes before you made your grand entrance into the world. I had planned to have an epidural but obviously, there wasn't enough time - there wasn't even enough time for the doctor to arrive! You were delivered by one of the Nurses, Leslie Haynes.
I wrote this in our blog about your birth:
"Shantel: As soon as I saw my baby appear, I reached out my arms for him and the nurse handed him right to me. I pulled him up to my chest as tears filled my eyes and love filled my heart. I was still in a bit of shock because everything had happened so quickly, but I knew that he was my baby and I was filled with gratitude that he had arrived safely. He wasn't crying and I quickly asked the nurse if he was okay, if he was breathing, and she responded that he was perfect and was doing great. I just held him and thought over and over that he was magnificent. That's the exact word that kept going through my mind. It repeated over and over. Magnificent. (i.e. spectacular, majestic, awe-inspiring, or breathtaking.) My baby boy was here, and it was magnificent. He was magnificent. Even after our specialist appointment with Maternal Fetal Medicine at 22 weeks clearing him of any echogenic focuses, I still worried/wondered if something would manifest itself after his birth. Many, many prayers had been said on behalf of this tiny baby, and seeing him there - absolutely perfect was such a huge blessing."
https://thepeadenlife.blogspot.com/2014/10/austins-birth-story.html
We had come to the hospital without a pre-determined name. We had three names that were top contenders from about 34 weeks on: Austin, Samuel, Owen. By 36 weeks, I noted that my favorite name was Austin but at 37 weeks I admitted that although we were closer to a name we hadn't picked "the one" yet. We took all three names to the hospital but after the birth experience I was ready to throw them all out the window. I remember googling on my (2014 technology) phone looking for names meaning "Magnificent" but couldn't find anything that seemed like a reasonable baby name. I was so disappointed. I don't remember writing any of this down - and can't find a record of why we ended up choosing Austin, but I do remember how stressful it was to not have a name and how we kept going back and forth until the last minute. (We took a name to the hospital with the rest of the kids because of how stressful it was to "bring a couple names to the hospital and see what felt right".)
Now fast forward to 2024. You are nine years old now (will be 10 this year!). You love to hear me tell the story of the night you were born and I love to tell you how dramatic it was and how amazing it was to hold you as a tiny baby in my arms. I usually just tell the parts about getting pulled over by the police officer and being worried that the nurses were going to send me home - only to be holding you six minutes later. But this time we were driving in the car headed to a baseball practice. You had been a little worried about a few things and I ended up telling you the story again - but this time I included the part about how strongly I felt the word "Magnificent" as you were coming into the world. I told you about how I felt such an incredible connection to your spirit and how the only word that could describe the greatness of your soul was "magnificent". At the time I felt a little twinge of sadness that I hadn't been able to find a name that meant magnificent, even though your spirit clearly is "impressively beautiful, or great (late Middle English: via Old French from Latin magnificent- ‘making great’, based on magnus ‘great’.)"
Later that very same week I was at a Mothers of Influence meeting (a group of homeschooling mothers who gather together to learn, support, and create goodness) and the topic turned to the importance of names. We talked about the names of Christ and the power of our individual names in our lives. Mosiah 5:12 says "I would that we should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts." We know that in scripture, the name of God signifies his titles, his attributes, his will or purpose, his honor and glory, his word, his grace, his wistom power, and goodness (Exodus 20:7). We also know that God uses symbolism in the names of his followers (Jacob-Israel, Eve, and so many others). The bible is full of symbolic names and we discussed how we can gain power from learning about our name and how that relates to our divine natures. It was a really neat discussion and I felt again that I wished I had been able to find a name with that meaning. So I googled it again, right there during the meeting (now using 2024 phone technology) and somehow, after nine years of not knowing this - I found your name as the second one down. "Austin." Baby name website Nameberry confirmed that Austin means great and magnificent.
I am in awe of the fact that your spirit was so magnificent that there was no other name that could be given you - other than the name Austin. Even though we didn't know exactly - the Lord knew and guided us to find the right name for you. There is power in your name Austin and I feel so strongly that you have a great work ahead of you that you have been prepared for before you were even born. Your spirit is great and is up to whatever task is asked of you in this life.
In the last General Conference (April 2024) Elder Steven R. Bangerter of the Seventy gave a talk titled "Foreordained to Serve". He quotes President Russell M Nelson saying "Your Heavenly Father has known you for a very long time. You, as His son or daughter, were chosen by Him to come to earth at this precise time, to be a leader in His great work on earth."
He goes on to say "When He created you spiritually, He loved you as His spirit sons and daughters and embedded within each of you a divine nature and eternal destiny. During your premortal life you developed your identity and increased your spiritual capabilities." ... "Before you were born, God appointed each of you to fulfill specific missions during your mortal life upon the earth." ..."Those premortal promises and blessings are called your foreordination" ... "Knowing who you are being with understanding God's foreordained blessings bestowed upon you before you were ever born on this earth. Our Heavenly Father desires to reveal to you your personal foreordination, and He will do so as you seek to learn and follow His will."
Austin, I know that your spirit was great before it was even born. I was the first one to hold you in my arms and even as a tiny baby I felt such an incredible power and glory surrounding you.
You are magnificent. I am so grateful that I am your mother and I get to watch you learn and grow into the divine destiny ahead of you.
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