My dear friends Jesse and Brianne Olson e-mailed me a picture of their daughter this morning. She’s beautiful of course, and strong and smart just like her parents and her name is Payson.
What got me all choked up, though, was her name. I knew immediately where the name came from. I was there when the name Payson was born, sort of. It was a few years ago and we were all riding our bikes across America. We’d been in the desert for a week, riding through temperatures as high as 112 degrees.
The day we rode out of Phoenix was one of the hardest days of the trip. We rode over mountains and then more mountains. Every range we climbed revealed another range. Our hearts sank each time we topped a massive, hours-long climb. We slept in a rock quary for rest, literally flat on our backs on piles of rocks. We drank gallons of water but never quenched our thirst, and our stopping place was hours and hours away. The ride was so tough a friend and I actually got off our bikes and walked the last few miles, our tires flat from punctured tubes. We walked into town long after sunset. But we made it.
Jesse and Brianne were riding a tandem. No kidding, they rode together, as a married couple, all the way across America. These people are not small on perseverance, and Jesse is one of the toughest men I’ve ever met.
So Payson, their first child’s name, came from a day when they decided not to quit. They decided that no matter what challenge lay in front of them, they were a team and they’d live together and die together.
Here’s the e-mail they sent. I hope you find it inspiring, and I hope it helps you remember no matter what you’re going through, that pain creates beauty. Keep pedaling.
So here it is… the story you’ve all been waiting for. I’m sorry it has taken so long to get it posted. I wanted to be able to sit down for a minute & give a good explanation.
Yes, Payson is named after Payson, Arizona.
You may recall the ride…
It had to be about 115 degrees out, the mileage was probably around 90 for the day, and there was no shade, not a shadow… (You may recall our lunch break & nap in the rock quarry that Greg calmly ended with his assessment, “Y’all know this is prime rattle snake territory don’t ya?”)
The ride to Payson was NOT for the faint of heart. I struggled all day “thinking” that my breaking point was sooner than it actually was…
Some of you may remember me getting in the van, expecting to have Jesse join me… Well… “Manimal” went on riding the tandem ALONE! That is one of the more heart breaking images I can picture these days; seeing my husband push through and do something alone that we were supposed to be working at together.
I got back on the tandem the first chance we had to pull off & finished the day out. I feel like that was the day we learned to ride as a team.
I also will never forget feeling that Payson was the most refreshing end to a ride that we experienced the whole tour. The air was crisp & cool. It was the first time we smelled PINE TREES!
So essentially, our daughter is named after a journey where we pushed through & learned to work as a team, where we learned the truth about ourselves & I like to think of her name meaning something like, “Refreshing.”
Her middle name is Grace. It’s not meant to refer to the Grace of Payson. It’s a separate idea all together about hidden strength. People tend to think of Grace & associate it with Ballerinas. I think of Grace & think of the difference of living by the law vs. living by Grace. Living by Grace is SO MUCH HARDER. It takes so much more wisdom and strength. So there you have it. Payson Grace Olson. She’s our daughter. We’re excited to see what God does through this precious girl & are so glad that you are all a part of the memory she is named after.
Welcome to the world, Payson. Welcome to the beauty God has made. May you have adventures of your own, and a community to get you through, and something beautiful at the end of your journey that you could have never expected. We’ve been waiting for you. We love you.
So inspiring and beautiful.
How beautiful, thank you for sharing.
“People tend to think of Grace & associate it with Ballerinas. I think of Grace & think of the difference of living by the law vs. living by Grace. Living by Grace is SO MUCH HARDER.”
#truth
i quoted the same thing and shared it on my facebook page
What a beautiful story! Lovely name. Lovely baby.
How incredibly precious. Welcome to the world little Payson!
Payson is by far the most gorgeous baby I have ever met.
Payson…indeed will be a memorable name for me as long I am able to remember the day you and Bri described. I look at the utter pure beauty and the promise this precious baby represents as juxtaposed against the challenge, the difficulty and emotion of “that” day and I realize this is the perfect representation of the journey that God beckons us to. Beautiful, just beautiful…
Oh my goodness, I LOVE this story!!!!
This made me tear up…while sitting in class. I love your blogs. Thank you!!!!
Wow!
What an awesome story. I have a special fixation for names and love it when they have stories built behind them. Precious.
That’s SOOO great. Such a great name and such a great story. She will love it when she grows to understand the full meaning… awesome.
i adore this. thank you for sharing it with us. it’s always encouraging to hear these sorts of stories… what depth and care went into naming their daughter after such an experience… that is something she will undoubtedly cherish as she grows. just beautiful!
and by all means, congratulations to you and your friends!
love & light
That is a wonderful story.
So timely a story for me..I am struggling with journey I m on, and strugling also with being a team..thanks for a glimmer of hope… there will be a refreshing Payson….and I agree.. grace is harder:)
How cool! I remember going thru Payson, AZ en-route to Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, just up the road from Payson. Congrats Brianne and Jesse. Welcome, Payson!
Great note! I just thought it was kind of interesting to here a new born described as “smart”. Just a random thought. Love your stuff Don.
God transforms our broken fragmented lives, the leftovers of shattered ideals and piece by piece tiles for each one of us a unique mosaic that only we can call our own. His light refracts, and suddenly our story is embellished by other mosaics. Happy Birthday, Payson – you share a birthday with my two nephews who were born today too. At just 4 pounds and 3 pounds, John & David entered this world. Over eights weeks early, we hold on to Gracious Hands and now, after a heart wrenching pregnancy and crisis birth, these boys lay with hearts beating strong and lungs full of life. We don’t know what happens next but we are assured of God’s prevailing glory in a much larger story that is tiled and revealed in each beautiful shard we grasp, each fragile moment we enter. It’s my hope that you, Paydon, John and David, will know God’s beautiful truths that are displayed in each piece of your lives, every day. For Your mercies, Lord, are new every morning.
Donald- this is a very sweet story! Children are meant to be that amazing combination of two people, their strengths and weaknesses. Names have such meaning and can inspire their bearers.
As someone who just moved away from Phoenix, I can visualize exactly what you’re talking about. Payson is a breath of fresh air and one of my favorite places to hike in Arizona. After all the brown of the desert, Payson is green.
What a beautiful name and a beautiful baby. Congratulations to your friendS!
Thank you for always sharing these little openings into the lives of those you’ve come alongside… just tonight our small group studied Ephesians 2:1-10, save by grace… saved too, for God to show His grace through to a broken people to others who are struggling just to make it to “Payson”.
Beautiful ending to today… you get to hang with some cool cats my friend~
I love this. Payson Grace is a beautiful baby, and Payson, AZ was a beautiful point of refreshment on my life’s journey, too. We moved to Phoenix from Oregon in 2006 and my heart was still yearning for new friends (and cooler temps) when my husband and I decided to attend the Sweet Corn Festival and BBQ Competition in Taylor, AZ. We asked another couple to join us. The morning of our trip we stopped for breakfast in Payson,and the conversation and laughs over chicken fried steaks and eggs began a friendship which now has a beauty that rivals that of the Mogollon Rim. Grace, indeed!
Ah Bri, the Taylor Sweet Corn festival is one of our favorite events all year. My parents live in Snowflake. We drive through Payson often, and now i will think of this precious little gift next time we drive through, in a car thankfully!
I really really like that name…it’s so fitting because raising a child is truly a journey of endurance ;o) I love my precious 9 & 7 yo’s and I will never forget how bright-eyed the mr. and I were with thoughts of how they would turn out and with dreamy feelings of memories we would make…
do not get me wrong…we DO make memories and we laugh A LOT, but it’s truly a journey raising those precious babes…sometimes that journey hurts, and sometimes I just want to climb in the van and let the mr. go it alone for a few ;o)but I’ve learned so much about God and about love in being a parent alongside my husband.
LOVE the name payson, love her middle name too. perfect. thanks for sharing.
That one hit straight to my core. Beautiful.
Donald – I cannot tell you how exciting this is to me – I grew up in Payson! I think this is the most proud that I have ever felt of that town. I am so happy for Jesse and Brianne and their daughter – if the town could have given them anything, I’m glad it was that experience with God.
[...] post seems very applicable to me at the moment. In my role here we are beginning to explore what mission [...]
[...] A Reminder that Beauty Comes from Pain | Donald Miller's Blog [...]
This is a beautiful story…one with which I can relate, if not personally, through a young friend of mine who recently rode across country with a biking/service group. Their leader was struck by a car and killed on the first or second day, and her team continued without her completely across the country and through the desert this summer. Godspeed to Payson Grace! Jerri Harrington
Oh, I love this!
Sharing it on my website…
I had the priviledge and honor of staying with baby Payson and her parents soon after her birth for 5 days. She is the sweetest and most
beautiful baby with the most wonderful parents. But then again, I am her grandmother and was so blessed by the experience.
Hey Don, I often go to Payson to get some relief from the heat and to reclaim some of my soul from the summer in Phoenix. I love that area, and can understand exactly why they would give their daughter that name.
Thank You! I needed the beauty and imagery of that post. God does turn pain into purpose. I have known and stood on that for a long time in my own story. There are times that it is so easy to give up, to walk away and take the easier road. Without continuing on and pushing through the pain, though, there would be no “Payson”. God is good. He will not let us down, and He always turns pain into purpose. (as long as we just let Him.)
I’m in tears… I’ve heard this a couple times before — but reading it now from the both of you has me in absolute tears of joy! Thanks for sharing. I’m so excited I’ll get to know Payson and be a part of her life!
and I love that Bri & Jesse chose her name so carefully — there’s great meaning in a name!
wow! That is powerful… im literally in tears as well! What an amazing story! God bless you baby Payson Grace!
This image is absolutely beautiful!! This year I went through a very painful experience. It involved my sin and the people that were hurt as a result. It was excruciating to go through and at times I did not know how I could go on. Now though things are looking better. I can see the beauty in life and the amazing grace that God has. What a beautiful story, thanks for sharing!!
Wow! I did not know the story behind the name. Now it all makes sense. What a beautiful story behind a beautiful couple and baby. We are blessed by having them in our family. Aunt Linda
I was moved by the statement, “living by grace is so much harder.” What a beautiful message.
It’s working through (or pedaling through) those hard times that show us our frailties and help us understand that life is bigger than just us. I can’t help but reference Don’s conclusion toward the end of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, It’s not the story of a tree but of the forest (I apologize for the lackluster paraphrase). Grace teaches us this. And what a beautiful name: Payson Grace. Thank you for sharing this great story. Oh, and great title, Don.
This is such a touching story- one I hope not to forget. Beauty does come from pain. Thank you for sharing.
Great story. I would need to name my daughter Arlington to top that.
This was so sweet. Bri is a good friend of mine from college (I met Jesse later:). You said that Jesse is one of the strongest men you’ve ever met-Bri will always be one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. I love that Payson made the front page of your blog the other day. My all-time favorite author, blogging about one of my all-time favorite people’s baby girl. Precious moment.
Well this made me cry.. it’s so beautiful.
My daughter-in-law was diagnosed with MS last year, and recently another malady….bi-polar. She and our son have 4 beautiful little girls, ages 9 to 4. Talk about pain! Some days I’m not sure how we will all get through this. I know my son feels like he’s sometimes “alone on the tandem”. This story is just the picture of hope and perseverance we need to come through on the other side of the mountain. Thank you for sharing Payson’s story, and all the others you tell so beautifully.
I love the idea of beauty coming from pain. If we are willing to choose and look at our circumstances from every angle, so often we see the gracious gifts of God in the most difficult of challenges. But we have to be willing, patient, and persistent in searching for that beauty. Awesome story to share. Thank you.
I’m going through something very painful right now and the concept of beauty keeps popping up along this journey so I found this blog especially meaningful. It is hard to picture beauty as the result of pain and yet the picture of this child is just beyond beautiful. I say this sitting here on my couch feeling lonelier in this pain than I ever have in all my 40 years before, weeping and asking God “why?” knowing full well that I may never get an answer to this question. That painful things happen and that’s just the way it goes sometimes and there are no promises of release, just that God will be with us in them. It is hard. Hard. I don’t feel all that beautiful with my red eyes, inability to smile, and overall heavy countenance. I’m learning too that pain is very isolating cause no one but God really gets what it’s about for you. My friends are great and they love and support me but they don’t get it completely and so I feel less motivated to see them and have to pretend I’m okay when I am not. I want to believe that something beautiful will grow from this but sadly, I can’t even muster the faith to hold onto that. I just feel it fully and it washes over me like a wave- sucking me under, crashing on my head over and over. I think we can all relate to this on some level- that that is why God made us for each other, because pain, while individual is also universal. I pray God would use me in this place though I feel so very useless.
I’ve been following (too closely) the events of the week (in New York). I’ve just been so discouraged by the waste of human potential. Ingratitude…no thought of their Creator’s gifts.
I believe the Spirit sent me to this space today for a purpose. To be encouraged today. Refreshed. “Paysoned”. To be reminded that beautiful things do require some pain…effort…appreciation…gratitude.
A beautiful child with a matching name!
Thanks. I needed that!
that is so true: living by grace is more challenging then living by the law. and that should not be. I love for the day when the living by Grace becomes easier
Congratulations to the new parents. She’s a sweet little miracle, and I love her name. The object lesson of the tandem bike is going to stick with me; it’s like God orchestrated the solo part of the ride to communicate something foundational to this devoted couple, and I really appreciate the tone she used in sharing it. I’m refreshed. There is still a lot of good going on the world
somehow missed this post til now. really love this memory. really love bri and jesse. and really love you, d. mills.
Our son was born Dec. 1, 2010 and we named him Payson. My husband came up with it because our other two children have unique “P” names, so Payson seemed fitting. We love his name. However, just this week my two other children asked the meaning of “Payson” because we often remind them of the meanings of their names and how fitting they are to each. But with Payson, we were kind of at a loss for a true meaning despite what he means to us. So, thank you for this post. If our Payson is anything – he is “refreshing”…happy at all times, sweet and adorable, a refreshing addition to our life when we weren’t planning for an addition!
Blessings…
Amy
It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I have read this put up and if I could I wish to counsel you some attention-grabbing things or suggestions. Maybe you could write next articles relating to this article. I wish to read even more issues approximately it!