It's Gabriel's Birthday

Remember all of those things you say that you are never going to do? I have several of those and today, August 15th, I am reminded of at least one of those. As BreAnna and I were picking out names for our first son, we decided on Gabriel Micah. Gabriel was what he was going to be called primarily because it would be to confusing to call him Micah and because BreAnna likes nick-names and she was going to call him Gabe. At the mention of this I staunchly refused to ever call him Gabe and with good reason: If we took this long to decide on a name, why shorten it? He should be called by his given name. Well. . . it was not long before he was born and here he was: Baby Gabey, after all, our two year old daughter had to call him something and she knew he was a baby and that his name was Gabriel but had trouble with the name so we simplified. Now, he is called Gabe by all, although I more often refer to him affectionately as "son".
I have often asked myself, if he understands or appreciates that I call him son. BreAnna has alluded to the importance of a son in her blog at http://frenziedfowlers.blogspot.com, but I hope to flesh that out a little more here so perhaps he and I will more appreciate it.
First, I call him Son, because that's what he is. He is flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone. I am forever his father and he will forever be my son. By calling Gabe, Son, I am ever reminded of the responsibility of a father.
Second, I call him Son, because of the importance I place on having a son. I have always loved history, and throughout history it has always been important for a man to have a son. To have a son means that my last name, the name of my fathers, will be carried on one more generation. Until Gabriel's birth there had only been girls born into the family, I believe at that time there were about 10 to 12 granddaughters and no grandsons. For all practical purposes, it appeared that the Fowler name was fading. Now do not get me wrong, I love my daughters very much and I would not trade them for sons or anyone else, but I wanted my father to be honored by bearing a son, that his name might continue. I was already witnessing the end of the Wood surname on my mom's side of the family and that still saddens me, as I greatly love and respect my grandpa and would desire him to be honored by the perseverance of his name. Thus, I call Gabe, Son, because of his significance in the furthering of the Fowler family.
Finally, I call him Son, because it is a reminder to me of the sacrifice of Christ. The only begotten Son of the Father, who willingly did the will of the Father to the point of becoming accursed through death on a cross. It is the love between a father and his children, between father and son that I am most reminded of. It is of the love that accomplished its purpose, not simply for the greater good (i.e. that one dies so that more could live) for that is not the love of God. God knew the agony his son would have to go through for our transgressions, a slow and anguishing torture and death accompanied by physical, emotional and spiritual stress that no mere man could endure. God knew that his son would die, knew that it had to be done, that it was the only way and knew that his Son would rise again and be exalted. Gabriel, whether he likes it or not is my son. I pray that one day he will be an imitator of Christ, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit an adopted son of the living God. That Gabe will do the will of his Father God with unswerving faithfulness and duty to his Lord. I pray that as a father, though I know I fail often, he would see the Holy Spirit working in and through me to an imitator of Christ as well as a better father. May God grant us both his mercy.