Hello. My Name Is

Robert Steven Murray.


That could have been me.


When my parents were expecting me, they decided that if I was a boy, that would have been my name.  However, they were blessed with a baby girl instead of blessed with another son.  My oldest brother would now have a sister to contend with.


As an expectant mother, my husband and I bought baby books and made lists of names. We would mark names off and put check marks next to others. We wanted a name that was just right for our first child.  We did the same with our other two children, preparing lists of possibilities, hoping and praying the ones we chose would be suitable for our children. And then when we found out about baby number 4,  again, I began making lists, I already had a girl's name in mind, you know, just in case.


Names are important.  Names provide us with  part of our identity.


As a mom of 3 boys, I know they will be compared to one another.  Teachers will say, "Oh, I had his brother, so I'm sure he will behave (learn, act) the same way." We've all done that.  We've made assumptions and passed judgement based on a person's name.

That can be good and everything, but sometimes those that came first didn't leave a good impression. They may have brought shame to the family name. We associate people with being from prominent families or from the wrong side of the tracks.


Thats why it is important to see more than a name.


Our identities are connected to more than a name.  People recognize us from the ball field and the workplace.  We remember the people who were helpful when we had flat tires or almost ran us over on the town square.


Our identities  come from other things such as the crowd of friends we have, our attitudes, and our appearances.


Unfortunately, we allow so many of these things dictate our value.

We may say.....

I'm a nobody because my family is poor.
I'll never be successful because I don't have an education.
I'm from a broken family, so no one will ever love me.
I'm overweight and worthless.

The list can go on forever.

We let circumstances, past failures, other people's sins, and our own weakness determine our identity and value.

There is only one thing that should determine those two things and that is our relationship with Christ.

Can you identify yourself with Him?  Is there a time that you met Him right where you were, everything broken and dirty, and he touched your heart?  If you have, You have found your identity in Christ. You are his and that gives you the greatest value of all.


Colossians 2:10 says, "You are complete in Him."

And in the words of my 6 year old, "That's it."

When I am found in Christ, I am complete.  When you are found Christ, you are complete.

Nothing else matters.


It doesn't matter if I am male or female.

It doesn't matter if I am rich or poor.

It doesn't matter if I am member of the country club or live in the trailer park.

It doesn't matter if I am size 6 or a size 16.


What matters is that Jesus is mine and I am His.

For these next 31 days,  I invite you on a journey with me.  I invite you to rediscover yourself, to see yourself the way that God sees you.

And now, I'd like to introduce myself.

Hello.

My name is Natasha.

I am a child of God.