Blog for March 20th, 2023
What’s in a Name?
This last week, I have read, heard and watched many different variations of why a name is so important. The importance of calling someone by their name. The fact that God knows your name and it has a meaning. Your name was meant to be. YOU, were meant to be.
Lately I couldn’t help but notice and believe that my name pretty much gives my age away. It’s that way with most all of us. Because the “popular” names for yours or my generation are obvious. I seem to be clumped in with what one friend called “cheerleader names”. That’s funny huh. Cheerleaders from the sixties that is: Like Cindy, Betty, Debbie, Susie, and so on. My husband’s name is one of the most popular names on the whole planet. The two most popular men’s names are John and James, and variations of them.
Whenever we go out to eat or are getting service at a store, or on the phone with a business type call and being waited on I always ask the workers and waiters names. I always ask the names of the nurses and aides at a doctor’s office and especially at events we attend. If I meet someone I don’t know and strike up a conversation, I ask their name. Sometimes because I may see them again, sometimes so I can tell others about them and maybe have mutual friends and sometimes just so I can say goodbye later and it was nice to meet them, using their name of course. It is personable and may help me in getting better service or a new friend. People like to hear their name.
So I wonder, if five billion other people have the same name as you ( or a variation of it) then how can you feel special about it? Plus each name has a meaning, so does that mean that the other people with your name are just like you?
Considering Shakespeare’s little poem of a Rose by any Other Name would still smell just as sweet, kind of takes away the specialness of a name also. Maybe it would still smell good, but what color would it be? Is it hearty or weak? Can that rose withstand the wind and bitter cold? Will it multiply and thrive in the sun, or will it wilt? Maybe each rose does have a separate and distinct order, maybe it’s barely noticeable, only a bee would taste the slight difference. But let me tell you something, when I was teaching if I mis-pronounced a student’s name I’d surely hear about it, and these days there are so many new names that are not pronounced phonetically at all, it was quite a challenge, but I totally understand and would do my best to get it right for them. Who we are is important.
The point I’m wanting to make here is that we are each one of us so special and unique, even twins and triplets that look exactly alike are each one unique and different. But the coolest part of all that is, no matter how much we think we blend in or think we don’t matter, God sees us. He sees our uniqueness and our heart. He knows our interests, abilities, desires, wants and needs. And when we ask, He will guide us in how to use them and pursue our best life.
I didn’t think to ask God to show me about anything until I got clean. All I had were those jail-house prayers whenever I was in deep digotta (a word we made up many years ago) it means, big trouble! Lol – “God, if you get me out of this one, I promise to do better”. Or something like that, I think you get my drift.
A very long time ago, right about when I first got clean, my beautiful, sweet, adorning sister Judy gave me a letter, (which I still have) and at the top was my name of course, as all letters of a personal nature start out, Dear So & so. It was a beautiful letter about how special I am and how loved, it was a bit hard to swallow, because I never felt that way, special and loved like that. But the letter wasn’t signed by her, it was signed, “God”. I cherish that letter.
I don’t care if a million, gabillion people have the same name as me, all I know is that when my husband, mom, sister, friend, call me by my name, I pay attention and I take heed. It can also depend on the tone they use; I knew if I was in trouble when my mom would holler my first and middle name, yikes! Run! Lol. I knew I was in love when my husband called me by name in a sweet, sexy, loving tone. This reminds me the Destiny’s Child song: “Say my name”, I love that song. I also knew my boss or my teacher’s meant business when they spoke my name sternly.
But when God calls on me, I sit up straight and humbly whisper, “yes Lord, I’m here”. I know He knows me, and I’m paying attention. I feel humbled and honored by this, I am proud to be a child of God and after all He’s done for me, not only will I abide by His calling, I want to do His will. I love that He knows me and cares for me personally. What an incredible gift.
All of my recovery I have sought His will, direction and guidance. I want my name to count for something, even if it’s only just Him that knows of a good deed or right thing I did. I don’t need the whole world to give me praise, I just need Him. He calls me by name and loves me where I’m at.
Question of the Week: Do you like being called by your name? I mean, in a loving way. Do you call others by their name?
