What's in a Name...part deux

Thanks Hon! Thank you for sharing your heart! I really do love the times when we ‘BLOG’ together! It gives us an opportunity to show our support for each other and yet allow us to share our own point of views and feelings. I must admit, it never even crossed my mind what impact Lisa changing her last name might have on the boys and therefore the impact it would have on her! I don’t think men generally (uh oh…dangerous territory!) think about what it means to a woman, or how it makes her feel to change her name. It wasn’t my intent to not think about this from their perspective, but that’s what ended up happening. So, when this came up, I struggled with the implications of her keeping her ex-husband’s last name, what did that mean to our identity as a couple and how would that make me feel. As Lisa revealed the boy’s concerns over their identity and her own concerns over how it might effect them, God began speaking to my heart and revealed to me that the boys needed me to show them my love…they would need to see from me that everything was going to be alright and that in no way would I want to erase their identity…I would never want them to feel like they aren’t a part of our blended family. We ended up having a great discussion where we both felt free to be open and honest (always a good thing!) about how we felt about it and ended it in prayer, asking for God’s wisdom in making a decision, peace to accept that decision and guidance in how to relate that decision to all of the kids.

This got me thinking about our own identities. We have an identity with our families …with our friends…with our co-workers…even with the service repair man who fixes our cars when they breakdown. But what about our identities in Jesus?

The bible says that if you’ve placed your trust in Jesus, then you have been adopted by the Father. You are His child. He will give you His protection, provision, inheritance, His love and incredibly, His name! This is not to be taken lightly or taken for granted. It is an incredible gift, and one that Satan does not want us to be reminded of.

Because of His name and our identity in it, Ephesians 1:13 tells us, ‘…having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit.’ The benefits of taking His name…belonging to God’s family and being called one of His children provides us with a sense of spiritual security much like the physical security we get by having an earthly family…

2 Chronicles 7:14 ‘If my people, who are called by my name…’

Isaiah 62:2b ‘…You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will name.’

John 1:12 ‘Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God’

Romans 8: 14-16 ‘For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, for if we suffer with Him, we will also be glorified with Him’

Ephesians 1:5 ‘He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will.’

Galatians 3:26 ‘You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.’

Galatians 4:7 ‘So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.’

1 John 3:1 ‘How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!...’

While I won’t be adopting the boys in the legal sense, as far as I’m concerned, they are part of our family and therefore, I will proudly call them my sons. I consider it a privilege and a tremendous responsibility to mentor and help raise them…one I don’t take lightly, but will approach with light-heartedness, joy and love.

…God continued to speak to me that night well after we said our good-nights. What He showed me was that Lisa’s love for me, the care she shows me and her commitment to me isn’t tied to or dependant upon a name. Whether her last name was Evans or Howard…her love will remain the same…yesterday, today and forever! And after all, that's what really matters isn't it?


~ V