WOWWWWW! Just look at him! He's the most beautiful baby boy you have ever laid eyes on. I know he is for me anyway!
REUBEN (translation): Behold, A Son! Jacob was so excited to have a baby boy that he held up his new born son for all of the world to see and to rejoice with him. He called out "Reuben!
Reuben!" Which translates to literally - "It's a Boy!" And boy, oh boy, is my boy a boy! He's a man now, 21, all grown up and in the U.S. Army, but let me tell you - it was NO picnic getting him to this point. Thank Jesus, and everyone from my family, my church, my community, and the prayers of anyone who ever met me - my boy is now the man I knew he would be.
When I was 3 months pregnant with Reu I knew (through a dream) that he would be a boy. I decided on his name easily - it is my father's name. When a girl isn't married, and finds herself with child - the best defense against any flack from her old-man is a great offense. I named my son after my father! My father was named for his father, who was named for his father, who was named for his father. Reuben is the 17th Reu in our family.
The dream I had about Reuben was simply this: I saw him at an adult age. He was in the horse stable at the state fair, the dream took place during the state fair, so that wasn't that far off from being acceptable. The date was September 21, 1985. In the dream Reu wore a red plaid shirt, sun glasses, dirty jeans, and a really big smile. I recognized him immediately - even though he was only 3 months along inside of me, his adult self was standing right in front of me. I said "Reuben, let's go" and he turned to me and said "Coming Mom, and the name is Lauren Gregory!" I said "I named you Reuben."
We walked around the fair and we saw people that we knew - as they saw him they shuttered..they were pointing behind me, staring up, and I could see from their point of view that what they saw was a huge, dark, angel-type soldier solid black and weilding a weapon. I would shake my head at them and wonder what they were afraid of, it was JUST my baby boy. I'd turn and there he'd be, on my left, tall yes, but just my Mama's boy - maybe 6'3", sweet, strong, protective of me.
When I woke up I looked up the baby names of Lauren and Gregory. I knew I was going to call him Reuben. Lauren means "Victorious One" and Gregory means "Protector". OK...he was that.
Twenty One years TO THE DAY, September 21, 2006 - my son Reuben called me to say he was signing the papers to go into the Army. He asked me to meet him at the MEPS building downtown. We went to the section where the Cavalry are formed and trained. (Stables) My darling, my baby boy, was knealing on the ground praying. He was shielding his eyes. When I saw him he turned to me. I said "Reuben, are you OK?" He answered me "I'm fine Mom, just asking God to protect you when I'm gone to war." My son, my Reuben - then turned to me and said "We're going to win this war Mom, we're going to do it." He had indeed become my Victorious Protector, my Lauren Gregory - but to me, to my soul and my heart - my baby boy will ALWAYS be....my Reuben. Behold, World, are you listening? Behold, my son!
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