Reason #429
What's in a name? About a year ago, I had this name crisis I was dealing with. I spent a few angry moments in the Social Security and DPS offices and made some phone calls that were less than thrilling. It bothered me to no end. I was furious that I was having to do this, and I was strangely thankful that at least I had never changed my name on my credit card as that was one less thing I had to deal with.
Tonight I poured over my Ruth bible study and the topic of names came up. Fitting that this should be something I am studying right now considering in a few short months I'll be back in the Social Security and DPS offices as well as making some phone calls. This time, however, I'll be quite thankful to be waiting in those long lines and on hold.
Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” - Ruth 4:9-10
Poor Ruth never seems to shake the whole "Mabitess" title she was given early on. The stinging reminder of who she was, of where she had come from. It was part of her identity, unfortunately. The people around her knew this of her, and this wasn't an admirable thing. They weren't impressed by Ruth's "Moabitess" title, and truthfully, I have to think they probably didn't desire to switch places with her. Ruth wasn't one of them. She was a foreigner, an enemy, a widow. But Ruth couldn't change those things about herself. Ruth couldn't help that she was from Moab. She couldn't help the fact that she had lost her husband and wasn't born into one of the tribes of Israel. Honestly, I bet Ruth had her days where she wished she could have changed all of that. Would it have been up to her, her life would have played out a little differently. But that's just life for you, and sometimes you just can't do much about it.
And so after many harvests and some divine turn of events, Boaz confidently declares that Ruth shall be his own. Announcing it loundly, proclaiming it to everyone, Boaz tells them that Ruth, yes the one from Moab, was going to be his. Boaz, unashamed of Ruth and who she is, isn't deterred by where she came from or concerned about how she got to where she was now. He had been watching Ruth and he loved what he saw. He loved it enough to take her as his wife. To commit his life to her, to loving her, protecting her, providing for her, and being there for her. Committed to becoming one with her. To keep her around and have a future for her. And so her "Moabitess" label didn't scare him. He didn't even try to conceal it. He made sure everyone knew that he was proud to call Ruth his beloved.
Ruth the Moabitess is now becoming Ruth the wife of Boaz. And I have feeling that they quit calling her by her old name, by the name she had bore in an earlier part of her life. Because that's not who Ruth was anymore. It was a part of her past, a part of her story, but God was doing new things in Ruth's life. Changing her life, redefining who she was, and she was so much more than her past.
And as I sat in Barnes and Noble reading over this passage, I came to the realization that the Lord has done the same thing for me. I've got a legal name that is reflective on my identification cards. I have labels that people know me as. I'm referred to in many different ways by many different people depending on how they know me or how they know of me. And interestingly enough, a large sum of people have gone through this identity crisis with me and know me as Brittnye ________ (fill in the blank with some label) than actually know my full name. But that's okay, that's all about to change anyway. The point I'm getting at is that the Lord has proudly proclaimed me as His own. By name, He has called me to be His beloved. He is unashamed of the labels I might carry around, and He isn't deterred or turned away by them. He isn't afraid to tell people either. To announce that I belong to Him. He doesn't try to keep it under wraps or conceal the fact that I'm His. And this right here blows my mind. The fact that a perfect God would want to call me His own and would be proud to do it just makes my heart explode with gratitude. That knowing me so well, all of me, my past, my present, my future, my dark spots, my scars, my sinful self, and still making such a bold statement that I am His is more than I can comprehend. I don't get it. I don't understand it. But I'm thankful that I am His. And regardless of where I've come from or what I've gone through, I'm thankful that I don't have to worry about who I belong to. I'm forever grateful and proud to be know as Brittnye, a daughter of the King.
#429 - Because what really matters is that I am His.
But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." - Isaiah 43:1
Tonight I poured over my Ruth bible study and the topic of names came up. Fitting that this should be something I am studying right now considering in a few short months I'll be back in the Social Security and DPS offices as well as making some phone calls. This time, however, I'll be quite thankful to be waiting in those long lines and on hold.
Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” - Ruth 4:9-10
Poor Ruth never seems to shake the whole "Mabitess" title she was given early on. The stinging reminder of who she was, of where she had come from. It was part of her identity, unfortunately. The people around her knew this of her, and this wasn't an admirable thing. They weren't impressed by Ruth's "Moabitess" title, and truthfully, I have to think they probably didn't desire to switch places with her. Ruth wasn't one of them. She was a foreigner, an enemy, a widow. But Ruth couldn't change those things about herself. Ruth couldn't help that she was from Moab. She couldn't help the fact that she had lost her husband and wasn't born into one of the tribes of Israel. Honestly, I bet Ruth had her days where she wished she could have changed all of that. Would it have been up to her, her life would have played out a little differently. But that's just life for you, and sometimes you just can't do much about it.
And so after many harvests and some divine turn of events, Boaz confidently declares that Ruth shall be his own. Announcing it loundly, proclaiming it to everyone, Boaz tells them that Ruth, yes the one from Moab, was going to be his. Boaz, unashamed of Ruth and who she is, isn't deterred by where she came from or concerned about how she got to where she was now. He had been watching Ruth and he loved what he saw. He loved it enough to take her as his wife. To commit his life to her, to loving her, protecting her, providing for her, and being there for her. Committed to becoming one with her. To keep her around and have a future for her. And so her "Moabitess" label didn't scare him. He didn't even try to conceal it. He made sure everyone knew that he was proud to call Ruth his beloved.
Ruth the Moabitess is now becoming Ruth the wife of Boaz. And I have feeling that they quit calling her by her old name, by the name she had bore in an earlier part of her life. Because that's not who Ruth was anymore. It was a part of her past, a part of her story, but God was doing new things in Ruth's life. Changing her life, redefining who she was, and she was so much more than her past.
And as I sat in Barnes and Noble reading over this passage, I came to the realization that the Lord has done the same thing for me. I've got a legal name that is reflective on my identification cards. I have labels that people know me as. I'm referred to in many different ways by many different people depending on how they know me or how they know of me. And interestingly enough, a large sum of people have gone through this identity crisis with me and know me as Brittnye ________ (fill in the blank with some label) than actually know my full name. But that's okay, that's all about to change anyway. The point I'm getting at is that the Lord has proudly proclaimed me as His own. By name, He has called me to be His beloved. He is unashamed of the labels I might carry around, and He isn't deterred or turned away by them. He isn't afraid to tell people either. To announce that I belong to Him. He doesn't try to keep it under wraps or conceal the fact that I'm His. And this right here blows my mind. The fact that a perfect God would want to call me His own and would be proud to do it just makes my heart explode with gratitude. That knowing me so well, all of me, my past, my present, my future, my dark spots, my scars, my sinful self, and still making such a bold statement that I am His is more than I can comprehend. I don't get it. I don't understand it. But I'm thankful that I am His. And regardless of where I've come from or what I've gone through, I'm thankful that I don't have to worry about who I belong to. I'm forever grateful and proud to be know as Brittnye, a daughter of the King.
#429 - Because what really matters is that I am His.
But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine." - Isaiah 43:1