Posted by Jim

Announcing the birth of Ruth Christine Johanik, 8lbs. 4oz., 20.5in. long, born October 27, 2009 at 1:36pm.

A girl, yes a G-I-R-L, in the Johanik family. In a blink of an eye pink has entered into our home – Praise God!

For eight months of Heidi’s pregnancy I was (in my admittedly simple mind) convinced we were having another boy.  After having four boys who could blame me for thinking that x chromosomes were not part of my biological make up. In month nine, it dawned on Heidi and I that there there could be a chance this little one might be wearing a “pink homey cap” as Grandpa Steve puts it.

I think this realization was God-sent.  Heidi is a boy mom, out of practice and necessity.  I am in the midst of coaching Derek’s football team and I am surrounded by smelly, goofy, muddy 8 and 9 year-old boys. Our house has spackle and drywall repair on almost every wall.  Our girl dog is often the object of countless tackles having an active role in many ad hoc wrestling matches and football games in the family room. The boys’ room smells more like a locker room than a bedroom.  Our life up to this point has been all BOY. We needed time to prepare ourselves mentally for the chance that a girl could enter our life.

Then came Ruth. The moment she came out, I had to check, double check and then check once more that she was a girl.  Then it hit me.  I found myself to be quite emotional – more than I expected to be – upon her arrival. Heidi and I never prayed for a girl or a boy specifically, but the immediate realization that I was now the father of a beautiful, precious daughter was quite a bit to consume at that moment.

The fact that Ruth would be dramatically different than her brothers also hit me. The day before Ruth’s birth I read Psalm 144.  In verse 12 is says:

“Our sons will be like plants that quickly grow to full size. Our daughters will be like corner pillars, carved like those in a palace.”

I love the imagery the Bible gives in women being “pillars”.  Pillars are immeasurably important in that they hold up structures that protect. Corner pillars are more important in that they form a part of the foundation of the structure. Corner pillars of a palace show just how valuable God deems the structure.  Ruth’s strength will not be determined by her brawn or how quickly she grows up to be physically strong, rather it will be the strength of her character and her relationship to God. If the statistics pan out and it is within God’s will, Ruth will likely be a supporting and loving wife, a nurturing mother and a matriarchal grandmother.  I thank God that Ruth has several women surrounding her that will serve as model pillars in each life stage.

This leads me to finish this post as to why Heidi and I chose the name Ruth Christine. As for Ruth it is simple – there are few women in the Bible who show more character and integrity given their circumstances than Ruth.  Read the book of Ruth for yourself and see if you disagree.

As for Christine, this explanation is a bit more involved.

When God chooses to allow tough circumstances to arise in a person’s life, it is then that a person’s true character is on full display for others to see.  For Heidi and I, this could not be more true than in the life of Heidi’s aunt, Christine Grego.  For those who do not know Chris, here is a woman who has endured a level of suffering that few people experience. In a short amount of time, she has had to endure the death of a spouse, the continual care and nurturing of a disabled son (not to mention experiencing his disablement several years ago), and her dealings with a countless number of treatments to remove cancer from her own body.  If you met Chris today, her countenance would never reveal such suffering. Chris has risen above her circumstances through a sheer and utter dependence on God in a way that makes you desire such a dependence and a peace in your own life.

That is the character we desire our Ruth to have. We love her name.