As an English Teacher, I am often asked to give English names to my students. However, you cannot simply look at a student and say, "You look like a Mark." For they will reply by saying, "Teacher, what does Mark mean?" The meaning behind the name bears much significance.
One day, a dear student announced that she would like to give me a Chinese name but she would need some information first. "What is the meaning of Lizzie?" she asked. I then explained that Elizabeth was my full name and it meant, "God has made a promise or promised." She asked me a little more, pondered it for a bit, and then left with a promise that she would come up with a name.
A week later she excitedly brought a piece of paper to me with these Chinese characters: 林恩诺
It took me a minute and then I realized, this was my name!
I repeated it over and over to get the tones right, "Lin en nuo…Lin en nuo…"
Below the name, she provided the meaning.
诺: God gives you a promise
恩: Grace
林: Family name…perseverance/lucky.
林恩诺: He gives you a promise of Grace.
Elizabeth: He has made a promise.
It does not matter whether it is my English name or my Chinese name, He still calls me by name. And, when He calls there is always an echo in my name saying, "This is the promise which He Himself made to us: Eternal Life."
Side note- For a little more meaning behind names, read the story in Luke 1.
Elizabeth: He has made a promise/Zechariah: He Remembers/John: His grace
Wow! So cool how he used one of your students to confirm and remind you of your name and His glory! Julie means youthful ... I like to think of it as having child-like faith and purity (not that I always live up to it!)
ReplyDeleteLove it! I should have asked people to post the meanings of their names...I love learning about names. As a camp counselor I used to go through all my campers' names and their meanings...It was always a really good discussion.
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