What's in a Name?

"If we live long enough, we will find an accumulation of names we call ourselves often based on roles or names we've been given by others. We may call ourselves, nurse, doctor, pastor, teacher, mother or sister - all roles that define us." (Widowhood: A Calling To Leadership, Chapter 1)

Years ago I was visiting a family where the dad was teaching his young child to play chess. Although she had learned the basic moves, now strategies were being presented and it was evident that his child was loosing pieces. I walked into the room just in time to hear the young girl say with exasperation, "I'm hopeless". She laughed and ask to forfeit the game. Her dad agreed that it's hard to continue on when so many major pieces are missing. He then encouraged her with, "I can see you are growing though, learning to look ahead". They shook hands and ended the game on a friendly note.

Again I thought, what's in a name, but more importantly what do I call myself? Until I overheard that young girl's statement, I hadn't thought about the negative names we call ourselves, often based on a single life experience, things we think about ourselves or things we've heard other say.

As a homeschooling mom, I heard that learning takes place when the ear hears what the mouth says. This is one reason why young children are instructed to say the alphabet aloud, so that their ear hears what their mouth is saying, why we memorize facts by repeating them aloud. This helps learning. When we speak negative words over ourselves, we hear what our mouths are saying and reinforce that image in our minds. Remember: what comes from the mouth can fall into two categories: blessings or cursings, encouraging words or discouraging words. Pick the best today.