What's in a name?

Names are funny things. Some of us are more aware of them than others, but how much do they mean to us? It's just a name right.

When you look through the Bible, there are countless occasions where people get a name change after having a significant encounter with God. Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Saul to Paul. Each time God was saying, 'This is a new start. This is who you are.' Cool hey!

Personally, I've felt a little convicted when it comes to my name. After my experiences while living in the US of trying to explain my name was not Donnel or Darnel and finding that Dan was more easily understood, I have since stuck with it. Problem solved. But recently I've realised the importance of the 'iel' in my name. See the name Dan means judge or judged. Dan was one of Jacobs 12 sons who went on to become one of the tribes of Israel. The name Daniel, however, means 'God is my judge', with the 'iel' being the God part. Only a small difference, but in many ways a big one.

Therefore, I have decided that I will now introduce myself and sign off as Daniel, and if people want to call me Dan then that's fine, but I want to proclaim and live out the true meaning of my name, which recognises the Lord as my judge and the one that I fear.

Stepping into the past

One of the roles that I have at the moment is co-ordinating a week of 24-7 prayer a month for the whole of next year (2008) across Guildford in the UK. It's really exciting to see the response from churches and individuals to this idea and I think it's going to be a significant time as we seek to join with Jesus in what he's doing in the Town by spending time with Him and then following Him to those places and people.

I was talking about this with a friend the other day and we both recognised the importance of the generations before us who have faithfully prayed and sought the Kingdom for Guildford.

It's on their foundations that we are building this house of Prayer.

I was thinking about this for a while after and was just blown away by the thought (once again) that we are part of something a lot bigger than ourselves. I wonder how many people have prayed and dreamed about what we are about to undertake and here I am an outsider from Wales, helping make it happen. Why me?

It also makes me wonder about my own family and what I am stepping into there. We have been reading through the Old Testament and seeing the way God works through family. What promises have been given to my family that I am now either living out or am carrying? Are the dreams that God has put on my heart been given to my relatives before me?

This then makes me think about my own life and the choices I make. The main choice I have is whether to follow Jesus or not. When I choose to follow Jesus, I lay down my own life and dreams and take up my cross. But instead of this being a negative thing, what I am in fact doing is allowing God to be my Lord (or boss) and let him govern my life. Again, this can have negative connotations, but what we are in fact saying is that we want our lives to be lived in the way they were supposed to be. To carry and fulfill the promises that God has for us, without us getting in the way. We then allow the story of God to continue in our lives that His Kingdom would come and His name glorified. Another word for this is Humility.

This is both amazing yet mysterious. It leaves us with a healthy fear-of-the-Lord, where we realise that we did not choose God, but He chose us.

Maybe our choice is not in fact to choose Jesus like some commercial brand, but to accept our position in creation and to live our lives in obedience to the creator and his sovereign plan. This is where we find life in all its fullness.

Compassion in suffering

Last Saturday I woke up with a funny tummy. It just didn't feel right. A visit to the toilet confirmed my fears, I was not well. As the day continued, I progressively got worse.

Between the hours of 11am and 3pm, I was vomiting every 20 minutes. I don't know where it was coming from. I was hot, then cold. I was sweating cold drops of water, which ran down my pale face. The only two places I visited were my bed and the toilet. It was not pleasant.

Inbertween each heave, I would groan a prayer to God "Please make it stop. No more", and it was during one of these times that God really spoke to me. As I knelt in my place of suffering (over the toilet!), God began to give me compassion for those who I know, and even those I don't, who have to live with physical suffering daily.

See, in the back of my mind, I knew that what I had was just a temporary thing. I had experienced tummy bugs before and knew it would stop (well at least I hoped it would), yet many deal with sickness where there seems no end. Terminal cancer, diabetes, epilepsy. Serious, painful conditions.

How do they cope? Where is their hope?

So as I knelt there, I found myself praying on behalf of others. I could feel their pain, albeit temporarily, and it sucked and I let God know this!

I don't want to be ill again soon, but I just found it amazing that in my place of pain and suffering, I was able to cry out for others. It just reminded me that Jesus understands our pain and suffering as he experienced it while he was here on earth as he was beaten and crucified for us.

It's given me a new perspective on what the cross means as Jesus intercedes for us now from heaven, with the scars still in his hands and side. It's also given me a fresh compassion for those who are suffering physically. I have so much respect for them.

There is a day coming when there will be no more pain and suffering. Lord, let it be soon. Amen.