Last night, at a weekly bible study I attend - our leader challenged us to discover the meaning of our names and to interpret that meaning as to what God wants for our lives.
The past few days have been incredibly challenging for me. I had just returned from vacation, had an incredibly stressful week at work - in addition to the normal challenges we face as mothers: raising kids is THE most rewarding experience in the world, but let's face it - it isn't always easy!
I share a lot of my emotions with my Mom, who has the amazing gift of always saying the right thing at the right time. When I shared all of these things that were bugging me, she shared with me a quote from Victoria Osteen about how a grain of sand that gets into an oyster and irritates it can become something beautiful with a little work.
Later, during the bible study, I looked up the meaning of my name, wondering what it could mean for me. To my surprise, "
Megan" means "
pearl"!
I immediately searched for the Victoria quote:
"
You see, a pearl is formed when a single grain of sand creeps inside
the oyster and lodges itself in its tissue. If left alone, that tiny
particle can cause severe damage to the tender mollusk. The particle is
an irritant which causes the oyster to produce a lacquer-like substance
called nacre. The oyster secretes the nacre over the irritant as a way
of protecting itself from the sharp edges of the granule. Those smooth
layers of nacre coat the sand granule, eventually sealing off the
irritation and forming a gorgeous pearl.
Now I’m sure you’ve had a few irritants in your days. Everyone has.
If they aren’t handled properly, those irritants can easily become
offenses that will lodge in your heart and do some serious damage and
keep you from God’s best. But like the oyster, if we refuse to allow
that irritant to be embedded in us, then God can’t make a beautiful
pearl in our lives...
Why don’t you take a few minutes right now and ask the Lord to search
your heart for any “grains of sand” that have been lodged in your
heart? Ask Him to help you to forgive and remove that destructive
irritant. Release it to Him because you are worth it and your future is
worth it. Push out the irritants and let Him turn them into beautiful,
precious pearls of victory in your life."
And I realized, what my name means according to God and his provision for my life: take all the irritants: the stress, the challenges, the negative people, the negative experiences - and use them to create something beautiful: a shining pearl reflecting the light of His glory!
I am so glad God knew I needed this challenge from my bible study, at this time. He is always watching after His children! :) I challenge you to take this challenge with me. Find the meaning of your name. Put some thought into it. Think about what God is telling you, and use it know your TRUE calling! What a great feeling!
