Why Splendid Faith?
Woody and I attended a service at a Calvary Chapel near our home shortly after I received the call to Japan. During the sermon, my mind drifted away and became busy thinking about Japan. I began to think how my first name, “Rick,” is difficult to pronounce by a Japanese speaker. At that moment, the thought of using my middle name, “Yoshinobu,” swept over me. When we were born, my parents gave my sister and I Japanese middle names. During childhood I remember my school classmates giggling when my teachers tried to pronounce my middle name in front of the class. That often led to questions and taunts about my name, race, food and culture. Even my middle initial, “Y,” yielded questioning and ridicule. Those early experiences led me to not like my middle name and to avoid its use. As I pondered using my middle name willingly and purposefully for the first time in my life, I wondered if “Yoshinobu” had a meaning. When Woody and I started to have children, I became very thoughtful as to a name’s meaning. We carefully selected names that we liked, but that also had a spiritual meaning. I decided to do a search for Yoshibobu’s meaning. Given that it's a Japanese name and I was doing the search in America, I didn't expect to find anything. But the first search result was from a naming site that said that “Yoshinobu” was an uncommon Japanese boy's name that meant “splendid faith.” I could hardly believe it. Splendid faith!? Not only did the search return a meaning, but a wonderful spiritual meaning. I was immediately overcome with emotion as tears began to well in my eyes. I know that in my own strength, I am completely incapable of taking on the call that He had given to me. To believe and to accept His calling is only possible if He grants me an incredible portion of faith, a splendid faith. There, in a very public space, I had a very private moment and was enveloped by His presence. While basking in that moment, I thought about my father and mother, neither of whom were people of faith when they named me. My mother had an uncle who was named “Yoshinobu,” so perhaps they chose to name me after him. Maybe they just liked the name. Then I remembered a word to Jeremiah that is stunning to read:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you. I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5
We are not limited by our parent's beliefs or our past. God reigns above all. He not only forms us in the womb, He knows us beforehand! God consecrated and appointed Jeremiah as a prophet to the nations. I was suddenly overcome with the understanding that my name was no accident. It had been given to me for a purpose - His purpose!
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