“What’s in a name?” Romeo famously
asks in Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet; “A rose by any other name
would smell as sweet.” And while that statement may be true for the names that
Shakespeare chose for his characters, the names of John Bunyan’s characters in Pilgrim’s
Progress carry heavy meaning. The name of each character says something
about him or her. Take Faithful, for example,
a man on the journey to Celestial City, who stays faithful to God even
when it costs him his life at Vanity Fair. Or take Pliable who quits his
journey to the narrow gate when times get difficult. There’s also Worldy
Wiseman who finds Christian’s beliefs foolish, arguing against him with the
wisdom of the world. In Bunyan’s
allegory, each name implies what the character is like before he or she even
says a word.
A few months ago, I asked my middle
school students as we finished studying this book to write a paragraph about
what they would want their names to be if they were characters in this
allegory. What would they want to be known as? What would they want their names
to say about them? Reading these assignments proved quite interesting. I came
across names like Loyal, Encourager, Faith, Perseverance, and Friend. But the
one that brought tears to my eyes was from a student whose life over the last
few years has not always been easy. The name she chose and explained in her
paragraph was Trusting-Sheep. I have thought about that multiple times since
reading her paper. And I find that in the situation we now face with a pandemic
that has brought our nation and our world to a halt and caused us to clearly
see our lack of control, this is a name that we as believers need to be sure that
we are wearing. For this name would say a lot about us and our God to a world
that is bound by fear.
How would Trusting-Sheep face the
fears of a virus that has proven deadly for thousands? Specifically in my case,
how would Trusting-Sheep face the fact that her husband has cancer? How would
she react when his surgery and multiple-day hospital stay must take place in
the midst of the pandemic?
I sat on my couch two weeks ago,
the day after finding out that the hospital in which my husband would be having
surgery would not allow me to stay with him or even visit him during his time
there. Overall I had not been anxious about the upcoming surgery (a testimony
of God’s great work in my life over the last year), but this news caused fears
to take root in my mind. My bible study for the day led me to Abraham’s life,
and the author of the study noted that throughout Abraham’s life events, it was
as if God repeatedly asked him the question, “Abraham, do you trust Me?”
Immediately, God turned that question on me. Though I didn’t audibly hear His
voice, I knew He was asking, “Amy, do you trust Me?” So, I asked myself, do I
believe that this is God’s timing for my husband’s surgery? Do I believe that
He is sovereign and good over this virus and how it may or may not touch my
family and friends? And my only answer
is “Yes, Lord, I trust You.” The outworking of this trust then is that I leave
my concerns and fears with Him. That I choose the name Trusting-Sheep.
You see, sheep are not smart or
fierce. They can’t protect themselves, and they have no control over their
lives. This is why they need a shepherd. They need a shepherd who is far wiser
than they are, who has the ability to protect them, and who will lead them
through the dark valleys. All they need to do is trust his leading and follow him.
It’s no wonder that in one of the most famous psalms, the Bible compares us to
sheep and the Lord to our Shepherd. The New Testament expounds on this as
Christ walks amidst a broken world and calls Himself the Great Shepherd whose
sheep know Him, hear His voice, and trust Him enough to follow Him (John 10:27).
We, as His sheep, can entrust ourselves to the Shepherd, Creator, and Overseer
of our souls (I Peter 3:25; 4:19). I have found that there is freedom in
realizing that as a sheep, I can control nothing, but that my Shepherd holds
all I love in His capable hands. My job in this dark valley is to keep my eyes
on Him, trust Him, and follow His lead.
Sister, what is your name right
now? What does your family know you as? What name are you projecting on social
media? What name are you giving forth to the unbelievers around you? I am not
saying that trust is easy or that we can never be honest about our fears. But
we must show forth to others and ourselves that despite our fears, or even
through them, we trust. We speak truth to ourselves and others. We don’t let
panic and uncertainty take hold. For we have a Shepherd who is leading the way
for us. We keep our eyes on Him though we don’t see the path ahead or know
where He’s leading. For while we don’t know what tomorrow will hold, we do know
what eternity holds and nothing can take that away (John 10:28-29). And we know
that our Shepherd on Whom our eyes are fixed is leading us with loving care. We
are His; He will not abandon us. May all who know us hear these unspoken words
as they witness our lives: “Hello. My name is Trusting-Sheep.”
(A side note: I wrote this two days before my husband’s
surgery. According to the surgeon, the cancer is now removed. Praise the Lord!)
No comments:
Post a Comment