The Day I got my new name...Part 1

This was the view from my back porch, overlooking a beautiful valley.

Back in September, I went on a trip alone. I needed time away by myself for prayer and meditation. Just to get quiet and still....and to see what the Lord would show me, if anything. The one thing I really was hoping for was a new name. See, in the Bible, God gives new names to his people. Not all of them, but He did give new names to people like Abraham, Paul, Jacob, and those are three I can think of at the moment. There is a praise and worship song I have sung that speaks of God taking my pain, and giving me a new name. The one thing I was requesting from him that weekend was to give me a new name.....a name that would I would know for sure was from him that would symbolize my journey and redemption. That name he did give me. I am not going to tell you my new name now. I will later.

I will tell you my weekend ended in such an amazing way, with a letter he wrote me. If anyone has not read THE SHACK, you may not know what I am talking about. I highly recommend this book. The author is William P Young and it is amazing! In the book, This main character gets a letter from God.... and his journey begins. His journey from his pain to healing.

I know that sounds weird to hear that I have received several letters from God. I have actually journaled this before in past blogs...He speaks to me through creative writing....usually my own spirit led writing to others, or in this case, a letter my counselor had assigned me to write to myself as a child. But the letter didn't come right away....it was actually at the end of my weekend. Over the weekend, I spent time in prayer, meditation, worship, and rest all outdoors. I did a lot of journaling too. Not once did I turn on the tv, and the computer stayed at home. I wanted NO DISTRACTIONS from the work I had set out to do. That may sound super boring to some. To some it may seem Crazy! Like how can anyone spend that much time alone!!!! Oh, I relished it! The outdoors is the place I experience God the most...pair it with my favorite songs and I am golden!!!! I even went out to eat alone to a fancy white tablecloth place. Ordered my salad, entre, and dessert! Yes, I got stares, but I didn't care. This was my weekend with God.

When I began to do my work, I knew I had to ask the Lord to show me stones that were in my garden. My garden needed cleaning out and the Enemy had thrown lots of stones in it. Stones that hindered me from knowing the truth about me.....the truth about who God said that I was, not the world, or the enemies hurling accusations of me. The process of uncovering those stones was intense.....4 hours of writing and discovering.... I asked the Lord, and He revealed!

Many Many painful stones.............I was exhausted!!!! I needed a break, so I took one. I went out to my rock.....the place I sat that overlooked the beautiful valley below my feet.