It was February 21st, 2018. I was in my last year of dental hygiene school making my daily drive into downtown Dallas. One of the most legendary people had just passed away and the radio station I was listening to was doing a special on him. I turned up the volume as I was touched by the hosts sharing how they were going to be talking about who Reverend Billy Graham thought would be in the front row in heaven. That’s when I first fell in love with the name Pearl.

I pulled into my usual parking spot and got out my phone ready to record this moment in hopes that I could share with Chas later and that he too would love the name. I found the audio from the segment I had saved on my phone and this is what played…

“And Billy Graham thought he would be in the back, in the very very back because he said he has received so much acknowledgement and so many rewards here on earth, so much approval here on earth. He said he thought Pearl Goode would be in the very front row. You probably don’t know that name most likely, but Pearl Good was born in 1884 and to the staff of the Billy Graham evangelistic association she is a legend. She was a retired nurse in her mid 60s with grown kids in 1949. That is the same year that Billy Graham preached at the tent revival in Los Angeles, it’s the thing that put him on the map, and she joined other volunteers to sign up to pray for Billy Graham.

Pearl said that she felt the Lord speak to her at the revival and she felt God calling her to pray for Billy Graham from that point on and so from that point on, wherever Billy Graham went she went. She would go on her own dime, book a hotel room and pray on her face and on her knees the entire time he and his crew were there, sometimes weeks at a time. Eventually after maybe four or five years of doing this on her own time and on her own dime, the Billy Graham evangelistic staff caught wind of her and brought her into the group, but she never wanted recognition. She did that until 1972 when the Lord finally took her home, but from 1949 to 1972 Billy Graham never preached without Pearl Goode on her face in a hotel room praying for him. And I have a feeling that Billy Graham was awfully excited to see Pearl Goode when he passed into heaven this morning.”

I remember listening to that and tearing up thinking to myself if I ever have a daughter one day I want to name her Pearl. As someone who believes deeply in the power of prayer, I was captivated by her selfless dedication to praying for others — most of whom she never even knew.

When we lost our second baby during the first trimester last fall, I began praying like I’ve never prayed before — prayers of grief, hope, and even gratitude. I started including Archie in our prayers for another baby (I shared the story in the caption of this post how Archie prayed for a healthy “baby see-ser”).          

Last December, some of the women from my church hosted a beautiful dinner honoring mothers of loss. I will never forget one of the speakers shared something that stuck with me,

“The king keeps his best wine in the deepest cellars and the finest pearls are found in the deepest seas.”

Little did I know that out of such a sorrowful season we would soon find our precious little treasure.

At the end of each year my family has a tradition of choosing a word to carry into the coming year — something to reflect on and guide us throughout the months ahead. It was New Year’s Eve and we went around the room sharing our words. Chas and I both said the same word, completely unaware the other had chosen it: Joy. That the joy of the Lord would be our strength in the months ahead as we try again to grow our little family.

Chas immediately loved the name Pearl after I shared it with him. In fact, two of his favorite parables come from Matthew 13:44-46.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure which says, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Value that says, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

Chas knew her middle name should be Joy — this small word that is often overlooked in Matthew 13:44 deeply resonated with Chas during college and does to this day. These parables illustrate that the Kingdom of God is so precious, so valuable, that, when we truly find it, we joyfully surrender everything else to receive it. Our hope is that Pearl’s life reflects a joyful surrender to the ultimate treasure: life with Christ.

I’ve also just always loved the beautiful jewel. My mom has photos of me as a little girl decked out in my Nana’s pearls. They are classic, timeless, elegant — and rare.

It is with the utmost joy and delight that we share with you our darling little lady, Pearl Joy Taylor, made her entrance into the world November 1st, 2024. We praise the Lord for His faithfulness in allowing us to share in this divine gift.

bloom and grow forever our precious Pearl,

Mama + Daddy