What is in a name?
All of us are given a name at birth. The name is what people call out when they want to connect with us. Our name is how we are identified. Our names are personalized to fit us and help others recognize us and separate us from others.
In this day and age, there are name books with descriptive meanings for each name that expectant Mom's spend hours reading through and trying out to see if it sounds right. Some couples even wait until after their baby is born before they give them a name, to see if the name fits their physical appearance.
I remember when I was pregnant with my third child, I had one or two of these books. One was given to me by a friend, and I believe I purchased one. There were at least 300 pages in each of these books. People see the value in names. Enough so that their are dozens of books published with detailed information regarding names and meanings associated with each name.
As expectant parents, much of our time anticipating the arrival of this new joy into our lives and beginning to bond and love this child, includes trying out new names. For almost two months during my third pregnacy we called this little bundle that was growing inside me, Samuel. I even made up a song about Samuel. Then after much consideration, I decided that I would love for our child to be called Samuel, but in reality, after having named two prior children whose names had been changed by them or others, I reconsidered. I knew it was inevitable that the world would alter his name, and he would be called: Sam, Sammy or something of the such. As we were driving to the hospital on the day that he would be born, we still had not finalized the name we would call this baby boy who would bless our family.
Fast forward, our son has a proclaimation regarding his name that he finds joy in and often invokes others to laughter. Out of no where, he will blurt, "I'm Kyle." His accent, tone, and mannerisms are comical. This is usually only witnessed by family and close friends, and it brings us joy.
Inevitably people often assign us nicknames as a term of indearment or because we are in their circle. Not sure why I was so concerned with Samuel being shorted after all. Kyle’s older brother assigned his nickname at the young age of 2 years old. Are you ready for this? It’s “Boog.” And to this day, his siblings call him Boog. Life has a sense of humor.
Out fo curiousity, I searched the web for the meaning of the name Jesus. Much to my surprise, Jesus is not minimalized to a name association meaning. What I found was the relation to and association with the "Jesus" who many Christians followed, and follow to this day, and believe Him to be the Christ and Son of God.
Imagine if there was a book, not just any book, but the best selling book of all times, that contained countless verses that claimed if you asked anything in “your “ name, His Father would hear and give it to you. That is the power and blessing that is promised if you believe in Jesus and Father God. The name Jesus, who most of us know as the Son of God or as He was referenced with a sign that hung above Him on the cross on the day He was crucified, “ King of the Jews.”
With a name comes a lot of responsibility. May we love and serve others with a heart of Jesus today and every day. May we choose to believe in the power of God and His Son incarnate.
John 15:16
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.”
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