It's all in a name...

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. This is one of those "This could preach" moments. An object lesson, if you will. I've been thinking about the "preach" factor.

And it all started with a pair of shoes.

I stumbled across my tie-dyed Airwalks at Payless. (The Crocs knockoffs) They were me. I really enjoy them for what they were made for -- to wear when I don't want to tie my shoes. Or when I need to scurry out of the house. My mother-in-law has informed me that the Airwalks are nothing compared to the actual Crocs. I'm sure others feel the same way - but mine are tie-dyed! (I certainly didn't buy them because they were pretty. I bought them because they were quirky!)

I've had a few curious comments about them. Several people who have seen my shoes think they are wild. I have to admit, I would call them clown shoes. Anyone who owns a pair of these things has to admit that they are shaped a lot like clown shoes. So that's what I called them. I would ask the kids if they had seen my clown shoes and they knew exactly what I was searching for.

Of course, they had probably seen them last. Did you know that these kind of shoes make great rocket ships for action figures? They also make great boats for different action figures.

It's no wonder I can only find one most of the time. The other one has set sail.

One day, while shoe-shopping with the kids, Mini-Me found something called Jibbitz. Her shoes are hot pink and she found a flower that looked great with her shoes. I found a Gonzo Jibbitz.

I didn't buy it right away. I thought about it - and decided that it really would look good on one of my tie-dye shoes. I've always liked Gonzo. He was the one that I always felt I was most like. (Either him or Fozzie Bear) I even took a blog-things quiz to see which muppet I was most like - and came up with Gonzo. I was highly amused.

On our next trip to the shoe store (we were actually buying webkinz) I bought the Gonzo Jibbitz and put it on my shoe.
Suddenly, they were not "clown shoes" any more. They were my "Gonzo Shoes". Even the kids started calling them Gonzo shoes. Did that make them any less weird? No. But their identity had changed.

I started reflecting on this fact and thought about renaming.

The world renames things in the pursuit of Political Correctness (another rant for another time) - but the Lord of All renames in the pursuit of VICTORY!

the world would name some as victims, God would renames us Victorious!

God would take us out from under our circumstances, out from under the weather and put us on top and call us "Over-comers". He would calls us the Head and not the tail. He would call us Above and not beneath.

God renames us because He sees us as we will be - not as we are currently.

What about circumstances?
I realized that circumstances can be renamed by one simple act - the act of praising.
Circumstances can be renamed by realizing that we might be going through a refining process, a sifting process or a molding process. And all we really need to do is say "God, whatever is in me that needs to come out - let it come out." With that realization comes a peace that we get to not struggle on the potter's wheel.

I don't think sickness falls into this category - as I believe sickness is not of God. But sickness can be renamed. Cancer can be called "Cursed at the root!" and sickness can be called "Covered in the blood of Christ!"

Of course, my kids are a major part of my day and my life. I love them. Can they be annoying? Yes. They can also be re-named - in my eyes and heart.
They can go from annoying to "arrows in the Lord's hands".
They can go from whiny - to conquerors in the Lord.
They can be taught of the Lord and great will be their composure and peace.

I'm looking around and I really want a spiritual label gun. I want to stick new labels on everything. I think, as I clean things up around the house, it's time to evaluate Old labels that have been on things. It's time to rethink their names.

If it can work for shoes -- there's not telling what a new name is going to do for the rest of the house.