What's in a Name?

Recently a relative of my died suddenly.  We weren’t close. I only had just met him for the first time when we began attending Church of the Good Shepherd.  We are related through my father.  When I was asked if I was attending his funeral I said something to the effect of well of course, “I’m a Bronson”.  That of course was not the only reason we were planning to attend.  As soon as the words left my mouth my husband piped in and said “No you’re not.  You’re a Radman.”  In the moment I gave a quick laugh and moved on with our conversation.  My husband’s statement has been sitting on my mind since then and I had felt the urge to put my thoughts down.

Yes, I am a Bronson by birth and that carries with it some physical and learned characteristics that I’ve been given through my genetic make-up and learned through growing up around my Bronson family.  But my husband isn’t wrong in his response.  I had taken his name the day we were married but I have gained so much more from him through the years that we have been married.  I really can say that being married to Eric has changed me and in many ways has made me into a better person.  I am more analytic than I ever was, and I don’t just accept what i’m being told as truth just because someone holds a title like professor, teacher, pastor... God has given me such a gift in my husband.
 
It is at this point that I am reminded that Jesus has done something even more wonderful for me by making me His.  He too has changed my name.  I am a daughter of the King of Kings!  Yes, I am biologically a daughter of Adam (sinful human) but I have been saved through the blood of my Savior Jesus and can now say with boldness that I am a child of God.  Through Jesus I am slowly being refined and not of my own doing.  Though I am such an awful and disobedient child that doesn't deserve the awesome gift of salvation or any of the other of the wonderful things that He has done and is doing in my life. 

Besides the gift of my husband, He has provided us with a church that seeks to share the Gospel and disciple those that Jesus has called.  Their love was made apparent in the life of my relative that is now with his savior.  I am grateful for that love that Good Shepherd gives and gave.  I pray that others that are in a position to share the Gospel and disciple would be so willing and wise. 
The Church universal often refers to fellow Christians as brother and sisters in Christ.  This has definitely been the case for both Eric and I and now for our girls as well.  Lacking for immediate family in quantity God has supplied us with friends (brothers & sisters in Christ) through our local churches.  These brothers and sisters that God has provided have been a great blessing in a world that feels lonelier to those who love God and desire to live a life that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father.

~Laura