What Is In A Name

What Is In A Name

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

6:18 AM

At one time in my life I was ashamed of my birth name.  My mother chose to spell my name Debra differently that in the Bible.  The O and the H are missing.  In grade school the boys picked up the spelling of my name and called me "The Bra".  To a 10 year old girl with red hair and freckles it was the final humiliation.  When Junior High rolled around I was just Debbie.  Since there were 5 of us Deborah's in my small class we each seemed to pick an alternate spelling of our Debbie.  Mine was Debbi without the E at the end and there was no BRA in my name for the boys to tease me about.

Later on in life I did a name search for each of us in the family.  Everyone has nice, sweet, powerful meanings of their names.  Jerald was "Spear Wielder".  Christopher  was "Christ Bearer". Dena was "Lily of the Valley". The name Debra (Deborah) was "The Bee".  I was so disappointed.  Why was I a bee?  A buzzing little insect. I was expecting more and was broken hearted. I thought I was something special, something better than an insect. No. I was "the bee".  It was a stinging realization and I decided names mean nothing and besides, when I stand before the Lord He will give me a new name.

I don't remember how long after all of this sadness that it  turned to revelation when the Lord spoke to me.  "You are a bee."  He said. "A bee is a pollinator.  A bee flits from flower to flower spreading the pollen from one flower to the other so that the fruit can come. You are my pollinator.  You are my bee."  As I listened to Him speak these words of encouragement to me my heart lifted.  I am a bee.  I do a lot of flitting from one thing to the next.  I land for a short period of time and then move on.  I have many interests but not one that I am focused on. There are not merely one or two things which interest me but many, many things do.  

I am perfectly named and I am a bee.  I am a pollinator of people.  Everywhere I go I speak the name of Jesus in my conversations.  I am here to help with spreading the good news of Jesus, the only One who saves us and offers every single person a new life and an eternal life with Him in His kingdom.  I happily keep buzzing and flitting through the days knowing my little part in this life is a good part, a worthy part.  Someday when I stand with Jesus He will show me the fruit I helped with.