A New Name

Last week I was a participant in a rather unusual task.  A friend's wife is currently in South Africa ministering to a small group of women, and in that group is a woman, an albino....her parents named her "No Matter".  This dear lady has only known rejection.  She asked to be renamed.  Yes, given a new name.  My friend's wife had been tasked with this.  Naming an adult with a new name that reflects God's love and destiny.  My friend shared this with those of us who are on FaceBook, and asked those of us who were so led to quiet ourselves before the Lord and ask Him what an appropriate name would be for her, then to respond.  As I read that post, I began to weep.  I tried to tell another friend about it, and could barely get the story out for the great sobs that I could not control.  Later, I sat in a restaurant, and the tears came again, and I didn't care that I was sitting in a public place.  The pain and rejection that this woman had experienced from the day she was born weighed so heavily on me that I couldn't have stopped weeping if I had wanted to.  But I didn't want to stop.  I wanted to stand in the gap for her and lift her up to the Lord, the Lover of her soul.  I wanted to put my arms around her and love on her and tell her that she is beautiful and loved. 

One of the songs that my husband wrote and his band is currently recording kept ringing through my head.  Most of the lyrics fit the little bit that I know of this precious lady's story:

"Lies were planted in her heart when she was oh so young  

Told that she was ugly and she could not be loved... 

Who will win her heart with words that bring life, words that are true... 

Tell her that she's beautiful, Your beloved child  

The apple of Your ageless eyes, the reason for Your smile

Tell her that she's beautiful, created by Your hand

Destroy the lies of yesterday with truth from the Great I Am"

The word that came to me immediately for this lady was "Beloved".  She needed to know that she is greatly loved and wanted by the Lord. I have a strong drawing toward Hebrew names, so I looked up the Hebrew name that means "beloved" and posted the name "Chaviva" as my suggestion.  There were many other suggestions as well.  The next day, I learned that my friend's wife was unable to access the internet to read the suggestions, but that the Lord had dropped the name "Gloria" into her spirit, as this lady would host His glory.  She told us that she was going to read all the names to Gloria on Friday.  I believe that it will really impact her life.  I look forward to hearing the rest of the story soon.  

 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it.”  Revelation 2:17