Shakespeare got it. But we often forget.
Then this morning, as I'm trudging through the name-heavy Nehemiah, I am reminded.
No one really cares about the names, do they?
I'm sorry: I'll read them, but I don't care at all about the names of the people returning to Jerusalem or in what capacity they served. Not really. What moves me, what connects me to them, what evokes human emotion is their story. They overcame the obstacles, with divine dedication, to return and rebuild. That's the story.
Long before Stephen King was STEPHEN KING, there was The Stand, The Shining. There have been a lot of Jesuses since Jesus Christ of Nazareth, but there's really only one Jesus, isn't there? His name could have just as easily have been Bakbukiah. (God had mercy on His children. :) It was His history, His heart, His story that mattered.
So as I'm stepping away from Mount Hermon Christian Writer's Conference--where everyone's goal is (let's' be honest) to end up with his or her name on a book--it's fitting that I'm reminded that names matter not. It's our stories.
The only stories we have to tell are the ones God gives to us. So whether your name is Amaraiah or Amy. Whether it's in 72-point type on the front cover or never makes it into print at all. Whether you're speaking to millions or the person beside you on the bench, just tell your story.
It's all that matters. It's all we've got.
What's your story?
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