legacy of a name

I enjoy listening to the Chris Fabry Live radio show at work. It is an hour-long talk radio program on our local Christian radio station. This past week he had a fun program on names and their meaning and/or significance, and I thought this subject would make an interesting post. My firstborn son's middle name is "Irwin", and here is the story behind that name:

During the early years of my parent's marriage, they lived in a quaint trailer park with a very close knit community of neighbors. They were particularly close to a couple named Irwin, who were actually old enough to be their parents. This friendship also extended to the Irwin's married daughter and family (with whom they still maintain a friendship), as well as Mr. Irwin's father, whom they affectionately referred to as "Grandpa Irwin". Grandpa Irwin, as he has been described to me, was a widower, an outdoorsman, and a spiritual man. His faithful companion in his latter years was his dog, Minnie. (Well, actually, her full name was Minnehaha Minnesota Mulligan!) Spiritually, Grandpa Irwin was not fond of churches and organized religion, but his practice was to worship and pray to his "creator" (his name of choice for Deity) in the outdoors, where he felt most at home.

My parents very much wanted children, but when I, their firstborn, arrived, I did so with a heart defect, a serious hemangioma, and a dismal prognosis. I was immediately transferred to a local children's hospital and the doctors thought I might live six weeks. My parents were heartbroken.

Grandpa Irwin, hearing the news of my birth, but not being aware of my condition, bounded into my mom's hospital room with a gift tucked under his arm. He left saddened and sorrowful. What happened next, he never told my parents, but he confided it to his son, who later shared it with my parents, who eventually shared it with me.


Grandpa Irwin (1967)

Grandpa Irwin left the hospital that day, and went to the woods with a heavy heart. He went there to intercede in prayer for my condition and for my heartbroken parents. During that prayer, he thanked his creator for the good and full life he had been given, and he asked his creator to spare my life and take his instead. Now, I don't know the theology of such a request, and I am not sure if God honors requests such as these. But, what I do know is this: I spent the first nine weeks of my life in the hospital, where to the amazement of my doctors, I survived and fully recovered. A few months after I came home, Grandpa Irwin went into the hospital for what was thought to be a routine surgery, and to the amazement of his doctors, he never recovered.

Obviously, I don't remember Grandpa Irwin, but I wish I could have known him. Since childhood, this story has had a profound impact on me. I decided many years ago, that if I ever had a son, his middle name would be "Irwin" to honor the man who was willing to pray this sacrificial prayer on my behalf.


Mr. Irwin (1987), my parent's friend and neighbor,
who told this story about his father to my parents,
after Grandpa Irwin's death.

I suspect that few others have a story like this. And yet, I would be remiss not to point out that you do have a similar story. As one who believes the Bible to be true, I believe that you and I were both born with a dismal prognosis, due to our birth defect of a sin nature. However, Jesus Christ came to earth to live sinless as a man, and died in my place (and yours) that my sins (and yours) can be forgiven. Thank you to my Savior, Jesus Christ; and my friend, Grandpa Irwin, for being willing to sacrifice that I might have life.