A New Name

I have never been a tremendous fan of the “princess” revolution. You know the one….the one that has millions of little girls spinning and twirling across their bedroom floors, donning any headpiece they can and pretending it is their tiara, and smiling and waving in front of the mirror. The idea of being a princess is not a bad one at its core, since yes, every little girl is special and should be seen that way. However, all too often it is taken to ridiculous lengths, turning the beautiful idea of royalty into something more akin to spoiled obnoxiousness.

Recently, the world has become obsessed in a whole new way with the idea of royalty, surrounding the much-anticipated nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton. There is something about the royal family that captivates even the most level-headed, democratic of people, and everyone, it seems, was talking about the event. What would she wear? Would the whole ceremony be as beautiful and memorable as Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding? Will this sweet young couple be able to withstand the pressures of the position they are in?

Even I, having never been interested in princesses as a little girl, was interested in it all. Had the wedding not been broadcast so early, I probably would have been glued to the television like so many others in the world. When I did get up, though, I turned the coverage on and watched, with fascination, as they reviewed clips from the morning’s events. Beautiful Kate, in her gown, waving at the adoring crowds and inching up the aisle on her father’s arm, blushing in anticipation of what was to come. Handsome William, waiting at the altar for his bride and beaming at his first glimpse of her. The pronunciation of man and wife. The balcony kiss. The carriage ride to the palace. It was simply beautiful.

Even as I watched, though, something in me felt a little bit silly. I am a grown woman, college educated and pretty practically minded, and there I was, watching the wedding of people I didn’t know and allowing myself to be swept away by it all. Silly.

Then, though, they began an interview with someone whose name escapes me; the caption on the screen under her face, though, caught my attention.

When I saw it, I began to understand.

There it was. The reason, I think, for much of the fascination with this wedding. The reason that so many women snuck glimpses at the magazine covers in the grocery checkout lines. The reason that night owls found themselves up at an hour they hadn’t seen in years. The reason that grown ladies felt like little girls watching this wedding.

It was a fairy tale.

The beautiful girl, Kate, swept off her feet by the handsome Prince William….taken as his bride to live by his side all their lives. He will be king, and she will be his queen. She awoke this morning as Kate Middleton, and will rest tonight as Princess Catherine. She has a new name, and while she looks much like she did before and may feel much the same on the inside, she is a new person. She has a new life. Nothing about her life from before will continue as she steps into her future as Princess Catherine…..the Duchess of Cambridge. Normal person changed into royalty by a marriage.

And that is what captivates our hearts. We long for that, and ache in our hearts for that kind of conversion in our own lives. We look longingly at royalty and watch and rewatch Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast and The Princes Diaries. Our hearts reach out with all they have for that kind of a change….that kind of renaming…that kind of transformation in ourselves and our lives.

In reality, we are made for that. We are made to reach out, with all we have, for a new life. We are created to live in pursuit of a version of ourselves that we have not yet attained. A longing for more is embedded in our hearts, and our lives are characterized by our response to that longing. Do we reach for more….look for the things that will bring about a drastic change in our lives….or do we live in bitter resignation that things will never change?

The good news, friends, is that as we pursue a life we may or may not have reached, Someone is pursuing us in return. He reaches for us as we reach for a life that looks nothing like our current one, and as we attach our lives to Him we are changed….renamed….converted.

The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth. The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—a splendid crown in the hand of God. (Isaiah 62:1-3)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Whatever you were….gone. Whoever you have been….done. It is over. Erased. Gone. You have a new name, which the Lord Himself has given you, and you are a radiant example of what happens when a life is handed over to a King. You, too, are royalty, and nothing will ever be the same.

“A Conversation with God For Women,” by Marcia Ford

I really, really, really wanted to like this book.

I had flipped through others like it – ones about asking God questions and having front porch chats with him – before, and never felt moved. When I was offered a copy of this one for free, simply in exchange for writing a review for it, I thought I’d give it a try. It is, after all, a nice idea - - - lounging somewhere with the Lord, asking Him every question that burns on my heart and having Him answer honestly and lovingly and completely.

It’s a nice idea, but it seems to be one that hasn’t quite been achieved yet in book form.

This book, which asks in its subtitle, “If you could ask God any question, what would it be?” is, if nothing else, extremely thorough. It covers 55 different questions from seven different topics. Some of the questions addressed are:

Who actually wrote the Bible?

How can we love unlovable people?

How can anybody find good in tragedy?

Can prayer really make a difference?

The questions are good ones, and the answers are, too. However, one basic premise of the book threw me off and hindered me from being able to enjoy it. The book is written in first person, as in, “I, God, say this and this and this.”

Yes, in a conversation with God, first person narrative would be expected. However, I find it disturbing that any person should presume to put words in God’s mouth, however prayerfully considered. I fear that human interpretation could cause misunderstanding of God’s nature. No one can fully understand who God is. He has designed it that way, that we would ever be in wonder of Him and continually pursue Him. To have a person – any person – write what would be God’s answers to such serious questions is unsettling to me.

If I were researching a particular question or issue, this book would be good, probably, as one of many references in my search for answers. However, I am hesitant to recommend it straight across the board because it is a human’s interpretation of God’s message, and someone searching for God could, conceivably, be led astray.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for reading and writing a review of it. I was not otherwise compensated.

“Dewey,” by Vicki Myron

I rarely, if ever, read novels and therefore never, really, write reviews on them. I have nothing against them, but don’t usually enjoy them as much as I do deeper books that enhance my spiritual development or my life as a whole. That being said, I really didn’t expect much from the latest novel I read. I needed something light to read on the plane on the way to Belize, and grabbed the one I chose – to be honest – because the cat on the front was cute. No lie. That was my reasoning.

Despite all of that, I have to confess that I loved this book. It’s no secret that I love cats, and that my own cat has been more than just a furry resident of my home for a long time. It shouldn’t, therefore, surprise me that I would enjoy a book about a cat. I never expected, though, to be deeply touched and, if I’m honest, to cry my eyes out for the first time over a book.

Dewey is the story of a cat who arrives unexpectedly and is adopted by a small-town library in rural Iowa. His name, in full, is Dewey Readmore Books. Get it? Love it. His life left a legacy that no one could have expected, and reading his story is a joy. He even has a website!

If you like cats….and libraries….and crying unashamedly over a book….you’ll like this one. Promise. You will.