Words of Hope: Naming
I have a few friends having babies soon and one of the fun parts is to learn the name. It’s amazing how children live into a name.
It’s a creative act to name a child. Beyond the power of a name that we call ourselves, I see how powerful naming can be, the name we give our sorrow, our work, our friends, or our inner dreams.
Mom had to change her name because the ones she used internally for herself perpetuated her suffering. Mistake. Unloved. Unwanted.
Through love, Mom changed her name with Christ’s help. Chosen. Beloved. Cherished.
This concept of naming is humbling to me. I think of how flippantly I can name something… ugly, frustrating, or broken. Instead, I want to slow down and consider questions such as, “What is the most loving way I can name this situation, what is a new name I can give this relationship, or how can I ask God to reimagine a different way to label or define?”
So often we restrict growth in our lives or others because of our inability to imagine something new.
Dad had the abundant flexibility that hope in Christ provides. He was able to call situations and people by a different name. I watched him change from calling cancer something he hated to naming cancer as a surprised gift and something from which he learned the greatest life lessons.
What new names do you need for your life?
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. – Isaiah 43:1
