Shakespeare famously said, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". That's been up for debate for several hundred years, but I have been doing a lot of thinking about names in the past year. I started looking up name meanings from the Bible, started asking people with interesting names about the meaning of their names, and looking up the meaning of family members' names.
I have never liked my name. Erin. Sounds terrible. When it's pronounced incorrectly, it can sound like "urine". That's real pleasant, eh? My name can mean "Ireland" (of course), but also means "peace". I'll give you a few minutes to finish chuckling.
Are you done? No? Okay, I'll wait.
All right, that's enough. It's okay, my kids laughed too when they heard what my name means. Let's just say that my personality is not so peaceful. I'm loud, exuberant, and opinionated. And it's peace in other languages as well....Erin is related to Irene....also means peace. It's "eirene" in Greek.
My name has really been bothering me lately because I don't feel peaceful. And Lord knows I don't often ACT peaceful. I didn't know how to put into words what has been troubling me, but I just figured it out today. I haven't been trusting that GOD is peace. I haven't been trusting His provision for my hubby's job, our finances, our homeschool, my children, or even something so simple as my sleep. It's not that I don't KNOW God is capable or that He loves me, it's that the rubber has to hit the road of reality so that I can SEE God's provision. And the part that's really annoying? I keep hitting this wall. Every October. I'm tired of it. Why can't I get past this? And why does even my NAME mock me?
I don't have a complete answer, of course. I do know that God wants to refine my character. I know that God wants me to choose to trust Him, and I do that through practice. And I know that God is for me, not against me, and that if God is for me (and He is), then nothing can be against me and win....even if that "thing" is ME.
So my name is not necessarily mocking me, but reminding me that my peace can't possibly come from within. It can only come through Christ. I'm so glad there actually IS a way to peace. I guess my name really is a good fit, because I need a daily reminder.
We had a visitor to our church from Nigeria and when he heard my name, he had a good chuckle. When I asked why, he said it was because my name in his language (Yoruba) meant "laughter". And not just a little chuckle, but a good laugh! Now THAT translation of my name I really enjoy!
