Reconciled

I grew up hating my name. There are lots of reasons but the one that sticks out the most is when kids called me "Helllllllllllen" or just plain "Hell" or sometimes "Helen-melon." I didn't get reconciled to my birth name until I found out what it meant. This monumental discovery came from a college friend who also had the unfortunate moniker. She also confessed to her aversion until she learned that the name was Greek in origin and meant "light."

That revelation changed everything for me. It reminded me of one of my favorite scriptures: "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever." Dan. 12:3

Now I don't like being referred to as hades; I much prefer light which is also the meaning of "Hiraki" in Japanese. So if you are like me and have had difficulty with your name you may want to look up the meaning...who knows what you will discover?