Jan 6, 2009

What's Your Name?

There's so many different things I want to say on today's post. But if I were to throw them all together in one pot - well, it might taste a lot like my first attempt at chicken gumbo. Lumpy, nasty and burnt.

Therefore I might have to narrow it down. But I'm not really sure that I can. My plan was to write on New Years resolutions. Or maybe, the lack of New Years resolutions in my house. For you see, this is the same girl who looked out the window in 2002 and vowed to never invest in an US magazine ever again. But then 3 months into the new year my money had probably paid for an additional wing on their offices. So see? I'm really not one to talk much about resolutions. (Though I do resolve to have grown from that experience and once again vow to never purchase another one. But this time it's due to more fear of my husband and his "budget.")

But then today Remi said something to me that I found a brilliant nugget in, she said, "Mama, what's your name?"

Hmmmm....think on that one for a moment. There's a lot we can chew on there. Especially at this new year.

And I thought for a moment. Ya know, what is my name?
If I had to call myself something, what would it be?
If someone else had to describe me, or call me something, what would they say?
Is who I am different than who I was?
Or do I even know who I am?

What is my name?

Thankfully, as I begin this new year I do so with the knowledge of what my name is. But lest you think I am boasting, I only learned my name a few years ago. Yep, sometimes it takes years - a lifetime even - for us to truly "get" who it is we are meant to be; who it is we were designed to be; and who it is He created us to be.

For some of us, the name we carry around with us is not the name we were ever intended to have. Let me explain.

I have a friend (several actually) but this one in particular I will call Frida (I do this with the utmost respect for the name Frida - but feel pretty sure that I don't have a reader by that name). Frida lived every minute of every day of every week for one thing and one thing only - her children. Not her husband, not her church, not the Sunday School class she taught or the missionaries she financially supported - and most certainly not herself - consumed as much time for Frida as those children. Not even God.

Where they were - she was. What they wanted - she provided. What they needed - she arranged. When they slept - she slept. When they woke - she woke. And when they went away, and they did eventually go away, Frida was left alone. And on one particular day, I think she said it was a Tuesday, around 2:30 pm, she opened up her fridge to grab a bite of something and realized at that moment,

"I didn't even know what I liked anymore. I didn't know what I liked to eat. Or drink. I could not remember the last time I laughed. I certainly couldn't remember the last time I surprised my husband with romance. I can't remember my favorite old recipes for no one ever ate them when I fixed them, so I stopped fixing what I liked and started fixing what they liked. And I can't remember the last movie I saw that I wanted to see. I couldn't remember the last time I spent time on my knees with God, and not driving a tour bus for screaming teenagers. I had forgotten who I was. I had forgotten all about the who God designed me to be. I had forgotten what He originally intended for me to be. And I knew right then, Melissa, that I had no idea who I was."

Frida spent the next few months searching, again, for her purpose. The purpose she lost somewhere between a ballet lesson and a root canal. The purpose that got left out in the rain, along with two Tonka trucks and a pet gerbil. The purpose that went away the day she began saying "no" to God and "yes" to others.

And finally, Frida found it.

She found her name. She found her purpose. And her purpose? Was Him.

I listened yesterday to our nation's talk show queen tell us that her goal for this year was to "love herself first, most", to "put herself back on the list."

And as good as that sounds it brings to mind a book by one of my favorite authors, Max Lucado, called "It's Not About Me."

*Note to self: In 2009, try to learn the real lesson...it's really not all about me.

My kids should not be my priority. And although he would like to argue this statement on certain occasions, neither should the Attorney General. Nor should my church. Or my family. And to be perfectly honest - neither should I. At least not all the time...although a mani/pedi never hurt a woman.

God. That is my priority. It really is all about Him.

He is my purpose.

He is my reason.

And I, I am His.

And He knows my name.

15 comments:

T said...

What a beautiful post!! How right that is, I think it happens way to often. Thank you so much for this reminder.

T said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kaye said...

Love the post and adore anything Max Lucado writes. Unfortunately many people in our society will even choose to worship that talk show queen over God.

May we never forget that in reality...it really is all about Him.

Denise @ Sunflowers, Chocolate and Little Boys said...

This was great...thanks for posting it. And Max Lucado is my favorite author. Reading his books always makes me feel a little closer to God and helps me do a better job putting God first.

Bree Shaw said...

thanks melissa for the great reminder. what a great resolution to make to ourselves!

Becky D said...

How come you always seem to know what I need when I need it...thanks for the beautiful reminder!

Cheryl said...

Thank you for this post. I need to find my name, this post did so resonate with me.

Amy said...

What a great post. Thank you!

Sissy said...

I love that song, and when we sing it at church, I ball. Sometimes we feel so insignificant and it's a precious reminder that the BIGGEST Guy of all is thinking of you and hears you. We are blessed.

Anonymous said...

You are such a refreshing person. In a world that seems to have gone mad at times I am glad there are still people out there like you. I truly believe that we all need to get back to the basic meaning of life and what God has in store for us. Thank you so much for your beautiful words. I so love reading your blog.

Christa

Tracy P. said...

Good stuff, Melissa! I had honestly forgotten that song--we used to sing it on praise team, but it seems to have slipped away into the files.

Lori said...

Yes! Good words and a great reminder for a new year. Thanks!

This Little Hen said...

amen. thank you for writing that today, I needed to hear it.

Unknown said...

What a wonderful reminder, and DEFINITELY something I needed to hear, right now. I'm lost in sigle motherhood, and trying to find my way out. It's not an easy ride.

Shelley said...

Yes, just today, I heard her say that tomorrow on their radio talk show, they are going to be teaching Spirituality 101. Okay... This talk show queen is beginning to think that she has the right to start a New World religion. And the unfortunate part is that millions will be deceived. It is really frightening to watch her set herself up as the spirituality guru, because she finally spoke the truth. She has not just now discovered that she needs to be first, I believe that everything she had been doing up to this point is to ensnare folks so they will "Follow" her instead of God. Just my opinion....