In high school, a friend called me Grace because I was clumsy. I also didn’t make room in my life for grace – for myself or others – although I’m not sure he was referring to my judgmental ways. Either way, thankfully, this ironic name didn’t stick.
Really, I’ve never been much for nicknames, probably because sometimes names that describe our faults do stick and weigh us down.
For several weeks, I’ve been thinking about names because we’re adopting a baby girl due Sept. 28. We also are trying to come up with a name for our lake house. Turns out naming a baby is easier than a house.
(We’re naming her Rachel Elizabeth. Rachel has been at the top of my baby name list for a while now and Elizabeth is the middle name of both Greg’s great-grandmother Della and my sister Cassie.)
Names are about identity. They are how people know us and what we’re called. They’re part of our stories.
Of course, there are labels to which we’ve clung too tightly and the ones we’ve let define us.
Regret. Shame. Liar. Addict. Infertile. Failure. Klutz. Perfectionist. Class clown. Introvert. Extrovert. Abandoned.
Those nicknames aren’t the name by which God knows us and calls us. Those aren’t the labels that should tell the world who we are.
We are children of the one true king. {Tweet that.} We are chosen and adopted and called and blessed and redeemed.
And we can change our perspective of ourselves – not because of what we’ve done but because of who God is. So let’s strip off the name tags that hinder us and display the ones that matter.
While this has been in my mind, I’ve been hearing – on the radio and in my head – songs that proclaim this message of our true identity ::
“Hello, My Name Is ...” by Matthew West
“That Was Then, This Is Now” by Josh Wilson
“Wanted” by Dara Maclean
“Children of God” by Third Day
Oh, and the lake house still doesn’t have a name, so feel free to offer suggestions. And I love hearing stories about names, so share in the comments about your name or how you chose your kids’ names.
Want more insights? "Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family" is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin', or subscribe to receive "Insights in Your Inbox."
