We chose her name after she was born, then 4 days later changed it. We changed it because in my heart her name was Kyra. That may sound strange- but I don't know a better way to say it. Kevin was so gracious with me as I struggled the first few days calling my baby a name that didn't seem like hers, and simultaneously feeling as though I lost a baby. Needless to say that first week was very emotion filled in ways we didn't expect.
Since then I have felt somewhat guilty that my baby girl's name was not chosen because of it's meaning, but just because my heart wrapped itself around that name. Naming our baby was one of the hardest things in the entire process of having a baby! For some reason we felt so much pressure about it.
But the other day a seminary student (who happened to be studying Greek) commented on her name saying it meant something about "time." Confused I later did a search online and what I found was astonishing-
The name "Kyra" comes from "Kairos"
Kairos (καιρός) is an ancient Greek word meaning the right or opportune moment (the supreme moment). The ancient Greeks had two words for time, chronos and kairos. While the former refers to chronological or sequential time, the latter signifies a time between, a moment of indeterminate time in which something special happens. What the special something is depends on who is using the word. While chronos is quantitative, kairos has a qualitative nature. In the New Testament kairos means "the appointed time in the purpose of God", the time when God acts.
-Wikipedia
"The right or opportune moment"
"A time between"
"A moment of indeterminate time in which something special happens"
"The appointed time in the purpose of God"
"The time when God acts"
These statements of meaning speak to my heart in so many ways. Kyra came at just the right time, a time between two chapters of our lives, a time that felt very indeterminate. From the beginning I knew God gave her to us at the right and opportune moment, and I now see how through her God has and continues to act.
At the appointed time in the purpose of God Kyra arrived. God knew where we were and knew where we were going- He acts at the right time. And when he does, it is so special!
Praise be to God that he loves us so deeply and sweetly that he beautifully weaves into our lives these reminders that He is intimately involved and invested in our lives!
