AIDEN WILSON TOZER AND MY CHILDREN

It’s common for every parent to name their children after someone.  It’s usually someone they greatly admire and respect.  It could be their parent, a sports hero, an actor, a teacher, or a bible character.  It’s simply honor and tribute for that person.

Some years ago, we were made to write something about “IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS” During my Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) class.  I wrote about being married by that time and having children.  I wanted my son to be named ISRAEL AIDEN after my favorite author, A.W. Tozer (AIDEN WILSON TOZER).  Many of this generation may not hear of him anymore since he passed away even before I was born.  He died in 1963 from heart attack.

A.W. Tozer - my favorite author.

In that CPE class, several of my classmates asked me why would I name my son after a distinguished pastor?  They asked me if I was going to let my son read the books of A.W. Tozer.  Then asked me if I was putting pressure on my future children to be like Tozer one day?  Then they told me that I should let my children find their own identity and not pressure them to live up to someone else’s expectation, let alone my expectation.  It made me feel guilty that just because I was naming my child after an author I was putting undue burden on them.  I was beginning to think I was in the wrong class.

I was hoping that it would be a boy for our first child.  It turned out to be a girl.  My wife was smiling when she came back from her check up on her fifth month.  Immediately I knew why she was smiling – it was a girl.  The question was, “what do we name her?” since we have only prepared a name for a boy.  You couldn’t possibly name a girl ISRAEL AIDEN, could you?  Well I could, it just wouldn’t sound right and it will be too pushy.

We ended up naming our first child REE AIDEN.  REE is the second name of JANNA REE (January) and AIDEN is the name of Tozer.  He doesn’t use his name in his books.  I don’t know if they ever call him as “Pastor Aiden.”  It’s a very good name.

REE AIDEN, 3 years old

I love to honor the great men and women who have given their life in service of God by naming them after my children.  Among the names that I would choose from are the following:

 LORETO – my dad who I learned what faith really is.

ALBERT BENJAMIN SIMPSON – loved his book and his life as written by A.W. Tozer

OSWALD CHAMBERS – Who wouldn’t know “MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST”?  I cried reading his biography.

PHILIP YANCEY – His book “WHAT’S SO AMAZING ABOUT GRACE?” got me hooked for he asked question nobody wants to ask God.

ANDY STANLEY – He’s just different.

DINNO RIZZO – of the Healing place Church.  Here is where we learned about SERVOLUTION and started our own and called it PASA LOVE.

TIM TEBOW – I don’t know so much about football but this guy got me interested in watching this game.  It’s more than his game but his passion to honor God.  He’s even raising fund to build a hospital in the Philippines.  How does TEBOW ISRAEL sound like?

No ladies?  Only a few..

JUDITH – my mom who’s full and faith and a whole lot more.

JOCHEBED – the mother of Moses

Our second child came out last January 9, 2012.  It’s a healthy young boy.  And we’re still naming him after A.W. Tozer.  His name is TOZER ISRAEL.  We have AIDEN and now TOZER.  Now both of our children carries our names and I’m happy with it.

Our second child, TOZER ISRAEL.

It seemed obvious that if you name your child after someone great and noble, you’d want him to follow his footstep and be like him one day.   That’s not bad.  But for some, like those in my CPE class thinks it’s an undue burden for our children to do such thing.  I don’t quite understand that or probably they have nothing to say or they just want to talk.  If naming our children after great person creates undue burden on them, then those who have named their children after prophets and apostles must have the biggest burden after all.  Can you imagine the pressure to be like Jeremiah, Isaiah, Elijah, David, Josiah, Peter,  John, Paul, and Jesus?

But it’s just normal for parents to name their child after someone they admire.  It’s fine to have expectations and hope that one day their child will follow their footsteps.  Children need someone to look up to and have a guide for their life.  And knowing and learning where they got their names can do that.  It can provide inspiration for them that they can be like this and even better.  I’d rather name my children after someone great and committed to God than name them after someone because they are cute but have no value at all.

I won’t force or even attempt my child to be like the person they are named after.  I will seek God’s help to become a better parent in looking for what God’s purpose is in their life and join that.  If he becomes like Tozer, that would be awesome!  And if he doesn’t and turned out to be ISRAEL, great!  But if he becomes someone else because God has a unique plan for him, then that would be best.  And that’s what I want to happen.

 SO, WHY TOZER?

Even before I graduated from college, I was already offered a job to join a ministry in Mandaluyong City.   It’s a ministry among the street children of Manila called Alay Pag-asa Christian Foundation.  I was to work as a Psychologist for the kids.  I graduated in college with a degree in Psychology.  I refused.  I don’t like kids that much and street children are totally different.  I don’t like city life.  I don’t like the fast pace life of the cities.  And at that time I’m not excited to practice psychology.  I was having issues at that time why I chose this course.

I applied for jobs and found none.  I ended up as the errand boy and dishwasher for my mom’s canteen.  One day as I was washing dishes, I felt so humiliated by what I’m doing.  I graduated in college with a degree in psychology and with an award to go with and here I was washing dishes.

One day, Graham Ballesteros, a dear brother of mine visited and shared his book.  It was A.W. Tozer’s book, “THE PURSUIT OF GOD.”  He has not read it that much but he wants me to check it out.  And I did.  One night as I read the book I found myself crying and on my knees.  I could no longer recall which part of that book God used to break me, but there I was broken and undone before the Lord.  God wants us to seek Him because He already found us.

The following day I told my dad that I would accept the call to ministry.  It would be working with street children in fast paced life practicing my degree would lay the foundation for what I want to become and simply want – a servant of God doing His will. It would be also in that place where I found a bookstore selling A.W. Tozer books which I have been collecting ever since.

One day, if I ever get the chance to go to USA, I would love to visit his grave.  It will mean a whole lot than to go to Disneyland or to an NBA game.  He would be one of the people I’m excited to see in heaven.

—

In a world getting worse each day, children can get added inspiration and motivation to live for something better and greater when they know who they were named after.