Taking His Name

I’ve been thinking about what it means to take Christ’s name upon us.  I guess I have always thought that it meant trying to become like Him and to do what He would do.  Lately, I’ve been thinking about it in a different way.  In our culture, generally speaking, when a woman marries she takes her husband’s name.  Having never been married, I’m not sure I understand the full implications of that, but it seems that she becomes one with him.  They are a unit together.  While they can still act and think independently of the other, they will both be striving for the same goals and helping each other to achieve them.  The woman’s identity is tied to her husband’s because she is known to others by his last name rather than her maiden name.  I have talked to several married women that I know and asked them what it meant for them to take their husband’s name.  I got different responses back.  One said that it was really hard for her to “give up” her maiden name.  Another told me that she was happy to do it.  She and her husband are a unit, and because they have different strengths and weaknesses, they can help each other.  One woman told me that she doesn’t even think about it as being her husband’s name.  It is just their name or their family name.  The scriptures say that Christ is the bridegroom.  When we partake of the gospel covenant, in a sense, we give ourselves to Christ as a woman gives herself to her husband.  We take His name upon us.  We should counsel with Him and become one with Him.  Our identity becomes tied to His identity.  

As I try to truly take His name upon me by aligning my thoughts and actions more fully with His will, I hope that I become identified by who He is more than by who and what I was before I made those covenants.  

Choosing Faith

Several weeks ago I was struggling to make an important decision in my life.  I had prayed about it for a long time but didn’t feel like I was getting a clear directive from the Lord on either choice.  Finally, I made a decision and asked if it was right.  Again, I didn’t feel like I got an answer.  So, I just went ahead with my decision.  It ended up not working out, and I had a little mini meltdown.  Obviously I had not made the right decision.  I should have been grateful that the Lord had not allowed something to work out that I was not supposed to do, but instead I started feeling angry.  I couldn’t understand why He didn’t just answer my prayer in the first place.  Writing this now, I’m pretty ashamed about my thoughts that night, because He apparently did answer my prayer, just not when or how I wanted Him to.  But that night, I couldn’t see that.   I started wondering why I should even continue to pray and seek His guidance for things.  Then I remembered a quote I had read in a talk by Elder Neil L. Andersen.  He said, “Faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision.”  Sometimes we have to choose faith.  We don’t always understand the Lord’s timing or His methods, after all His ways are not our ways.  Having faith is to trust in Him even when we don’t understand, and sometimes we have to make a conscience decision to have faith.  It is not always easy.  I am trying to choose faith in the promises given in Matthew 7:7 that if I ask, it shall be given; if I seek I shall find; if I knock, it shall be opened unto me.  I’m choosing to have faith that the Lord loves me and wants to help me in my life as I try to learn how and when he speaks to me in answer to prayers.

  

Tires & Tender Mercies

A couple of weeks ago, I left work a little after 5:00, only to discover that I had a flat tire on my car.  Now, I know how to change a tire, but I was afraid with my weak, little arms it might take a while so I went and asked someone to help me.  I wanted to make sure I would have time to take my tire in and get it repaired before the shop was closed.  I am really glad that I found someone that was willing to help.  The kind man that helped me had to work pretty hard to get my rusted-on tire off.  I don't think I would have been able to do it alone.  It took quite a while, and I started to really worry that the shop would be closed.  We finally got the donut on, and I was on my way, the whole time praying that I would be able to get it repaired that night.  Amazingly enough, I made it to the tire shop about 15 minutes before they closed and was able to get the tire fixed.  I felt like that was a real blessing from Heavenly Father, a tender mercy.  Yes, it was a little thing, and yes, I could have gotten it fixed the next day, but it was such a relief to get it taken care of that night.  I think it is sometimes those little things that help me to feel God's love, and to feel awed and amazed that He would even help me with something so trivial.  I know that we are truly children of God.  He loves us as a father does and He wants to help us.

Memory

Today I heard a song that I used to listen to in junior high or high school.  Today was the first time since then that I've listened to it.  But, amazingly enough, I could remember every word.  Isn't it interesting how our brains work?  I haven't even thought of that song for years, but I remembered it all; it was still in my head, and I knew it when I heard it.  I wonder if the same patterns of memory and recall apply to our spiritual lives.  I don't remember what my pre-mortal existence was like.  I don't remember what Heavenly Father's face looks like.  But I think that knowledge is still in me or a part of me somewhere.  Maybe that's why when the Holy Ghost testifies of a spiritual truth, it resonates with us; because we already know it.