Have you ever had questions that you wish you had asked your parents? As an only child, I have no siblings with whom to converse about various subjects. In a day when birth control was not what it is today, my parents had been married eleven years before I was born. They were also of a generation — long past, I fear — when subjects such as birth control were not discussed. There are questions that they would have answered, but I never thought of asking them until after both parents were dead.

One question was about my name. My given name is "Saranne". I never knew whence that name came. The only person who ever called me that was my Aunt Florine. She was my father's sister, and she insisted on calling me "Saranne". Everyone else, including my parents, has called me "Punky". Do I know why I received that name? No, I really do not. One story is that I was jaundiced at birth, and someone made a remark about my pumpkin colour. Another is that by the time I was born, my parents' friends' children were all older, and I was everyone's little "pumpkin", which transformed into "Punky". All eight of our grandchildren except one call me "Punky" or "Punk". One of them said, "No one else has a grandmother with your name, Punk."

To this day, no one calls me "Saranne". I am well over 80, and the name "Punky" remains. But more important than that name is the fact that I am called a child of God because I declared that Jesus Christ is my Saviour.

John 1:12 – But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (ESV)

Isaiah 62:2b-3 – You shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. (ESV)

Abram, Sarai, Jacob, Simon, and Saul were all given new names to reflect the changes that God would be making in their lives. We, too, are given a new name — child of God — when we are adopted into God's family. Will we surrender to His lordship and live up to the transforming power of that new name?

Prayer: Lord, You tell us, "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1 ESV) Help us to believe that and to live in accordance with it. Amen.

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About the author:

Saranne (Punky) Penberthy <saranne.penberthy@gmail.com>
Clifton, Texas, USA
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