"What's in a name?
That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
Lately my husband and I have been discussing baby names. To name a child is no easy task, especially when you and your spouse don't have many names you both like! What a responsibility! You are choosing the word that will become that person's identity forever. It will be the word that will be on a birth certificate, possibly a passport; maybe it will be in the local paper for some great achievement. It will be written in genealogy records for the end of time. More importantly, I pray that they will one day accept Christ as their personal Saviour and that name will be written in the Book of Life for all eternity.
I started thinking of all of God's names. He has so many in the Bible that He gives us to remind us of an event or of a characteristic of Him. In the Bible, people were named something, based off of what the name meant. I often wonder what name He would give me, based off of its meaning. Would my name mean "Giving of Self" or "Selfish"; "Loving" or "Prideful"? When the Lord looks down from the heavens, searching for those whose hearts are fully committed to Him-am I found worthy enough, committed enough for Him to choose my heart to strengthen?( 2 Chronicles 16:9a) I would love for my heavenly name to mean "Strengthened by the Lord" or "The Lord's Servant".
When God looks down from the heavens, He doesn't see your new haircut and your pretty red shirt. He doesn't see a face covered in makeup with glossy lips. He sees you, to the core, no covering it up...and He loves you anyway, despite yourself. I encourage you to take a look inside your heart and see what you find. The best way I know what all is going on in there, is by what comes out in my daily routine. Am I angry or bitter or jealous about something? Am I losing my temper or getting frustrated too easily? Those are the days and the moments I wish He wasn't looking! Those are the times I know I need to stop and pray and get filled with Him, and not myself.
So what is in a name really? I try not to think of the big responsibility or it really is overwhelming. By April, I trust that we'll have at least one boy name and one girl name and hopefully we will still like those names when we meet this little one who likes to kick me every night!
No comments:
Post a Comment