I’m not big into New Year’s resolutions. But I do think a little reflection is a good thing as we begin a new year—and a new decade. Sometimes we focus on what we want to see HAPPEN. That’s fine, but often this is out of our control. Sometimes we focus on what we want to DO. That’s great, too. However, today I’d like to focus on something even more fundamental, something which underlies what we want to do (and sometimes, what we want to see happen). And that is who do we want to BE?
Perhaps you are already clear on who you want to be. If not, an interesting way to approach this is to look at your name and its meaning. If you don’t know the meaning, or have forgotten, there are several websites providing easy access to this information. If you have a middle name, check that out, too. Do you want to reflect that meaning?
Before our daughter was born, we considered various names. A memorable one we ran across was “Bertilda”. It has Norwegian roots and I picture a woman with braids and a Viking hat. Its meaning made us laugh—”Commanding battle maid!” I think our daughter’s glad we never seriously considered it. But what if we had named her Bertilda? Then if she was in a situation requiring courage, she could have been strengthened by remembering her inner battle maid!
My first name has its roots in Hebrew, English, and Scottish. There are variations in meaning, including “God is gracious” and “God’s gracious gift.” That second one sounds like a lot to live up to! Both call me to contemplation. How is God’s grace evident in my life? How can I be a gift to others?
You may find character traits associated with your name. Then you can decide whether you want to exemplify those or de-emphasize them. For example, I have read that people with my name give their all to everything they do. Well, that’s terrific…to a point. It can also lead to stress and burnout. I’ve had to learn to prioritize and recognize that sometimes “good enough” really is good enough! (See my recent post, “L’Chaim”, in which I wrote about joyfully hosting a simple family gathering, even when there was no time to cook.)
Regardless of your name, I would encourage every person of faith to ask themselves:
- What do the scriptures say about my identity as a child of God?
- How can I fully live out my God-given uniqueness?
- Who am I called to be in relation to others?
You may want to think/pray/meditate/journal on who you want to be. Be sure to plan some specific, small steps to begin moving that direction. My prayer is that, with God’s help, in 2020 we each would grow more and more into being the wonderful, unique persons we were created us to be.
I hope some of you will be willing to share about your identity in the comments section below.
"Falph"
31 Dec 2019I share your name and therefore, its meaning. When I discovered my name means God’s grace, I first thought that is so because I was born following a traumatic miscarriage which hurt my mother emotionally as well as mentally. When I came it was total grace that she could even have a child.
admin
31 Dec 2019And because I know you, I can say “and then she had more children, too”! Beautiful story. Thank you.
Dawn Marie Flores
31 Dec 2019My name comes from Old English:
Dawn is a feminine given name. It is of Old English origin, and its meaning is the first appearance of light, daybreak.
The name Dawn is translated:
SAHAR f Arabic, Persian
Means “dawn” in Arabic.
SHACHAR f & m Hebrew
Means “dawn” in Hebrew.
source: https://www.behindthename.com/names/gender/feminine/meaning/dawn
admin
31 Dec 2019Dawn – Thank you so much for sharing. “First appearance of light. Daybreak.” The rich and beautiful meaning of your name was hiding in plain sight! I would love to hear your thoughts on living that out. Certainly, your ministry is one way of letting God’s light shine.
Dawn Marie Flores
31 Dec 2019In the natural, my mother had lost two babies within two years due to brain tumor and Down Syndrome. My twin sister and I were then born a couple years later giving Hope and Light to my parents. We were the last of 7 children.
In the spiritual sense, I can see the insight and prophetic giftings as being a “first appearance of Light.” Hope or the “Daybreak “of the future. God’s words of TRUTH whether a chastisement or joyous and encouraging are ultimately to draw us closer to God/Elohim our Father and Jesus Christ/Yeshua the Messiah, our Savior. So in my writing declarations, it is to help each of us draw closer to the Lord for a brighter tomorrow.
Mona
5 Jan 2020My name, Ramona, means protecting or healing hands.
admin
5 Jan 2020How appropriate for a mother of three, and a woman who hand-crafts beautiful cards to let people know they are loved!