Reason #878
I can't get enough sleep. I have slept in for the past two days, and yet I am still so tired. Aaron, Scout, and I managed to squeeze in a late afternoon nap, which is not the norm for Aaron. We should hopefully be rested by Monday. It's funny how much time it takes to get caught up on your rest and how quickly you get tired. Sometimes you find you need a vacation from your vacation. Good thing July 4th is just around the corner.
We went to our first wedding of the summer this afternoon. I have always loved going to weddings, and every time we've attended a wedding since our own we always reflect back on our big day. Of course, you're always partial to your own, but I love how each wedding reflects the personality of the couple. I enjoy getting to see what details they picked out for their day, and I always find myself saying things like, "It was totally 'them'."
Them. No longer he and she. They are one. In 20 minutes you go from a me to an us, and from that day forward, your identity has changed. Aaron and I talked about this tonight, and truth be told, while marriage is a big change for both the bride and the groom, the bride has to undergo the most obvious changes. Now, she has a new name. For 20 to 30 years, she had her own last name. Now, she has his. She has to change every document under the sun, get used to saying it, and create her new signature. All of her old monogrammed items can go to the trash. If she's lucky, she might have a cool last name she can pass on to her child. If not, that's it. Her last name doesn't carry on because she has a new identity that will be passed on. Her children will bear his name, her grandchildren will, too, and she'll go to the grave with a death certificate that doesn't match her birth certificate.
When we got to the hotel on our wedding night, Aaron had a little gift sitting for me on the coffee table. I opened it to find a bible with my new name printed on the bottom corner. Brittnye Davis. Truth be told, sometimes I still forget that it's my last name. For a while, I got used to just introducing myself as Brittnye without saying a last name. You know, kind of like Cher and Madonna. They don't use last names and that works well for them. Sometimes I forget I have a last name at all. Anyway, I really appreciated it. It was the first thing I had with my new name, I thought it was most fitting. We got home from our honeymoon and I immediately got my legal documents changed. I was glad to have a new last name, and especially one that was easy to say, spell, and sounded good with my first name. I had a new identity, a new association, and I was proud to be known by it.
That's the job of the bride. She takes on her husband's identity. She's still her own person, but she represents him by bearing his name. I'm not just Brittnye, I am now Aaron's wife. And as the church, as the bride of Christ, that is our job. We belong to Christ, so we are a reflection of Him. If we bear His name, we bear His image. My actions are a direct reflection of Aaron, and the way I present myself affects Aaron's reputation. People will make assumptions about Aaron from interacting with me and vice versa. I want them to think well of him. I want to represent my new identity and name well. And as followers of Christ, the same should hold true.
The moment we become His, we become a new creation. The old self is gone. We are no longer our own. We belong to Him. Not in a controlling, "I own you" manner. Rather in a "I love you and I long to take care of you" manner. Losing our identity isn't so bad when our new identity is found in one who cares for us. When it comes from one who loves us, accepts us, forgives us, and holds our best interest at heart, it's easy to trade it in. Because with your new identity comes so much more than you ever had when you were on your own. Now, you are redeemed, treasured, valued, renewed, and restored. You are an heir, sealed and secured, washed, cleansed, and made perfect in His sight. So carry your new name, your new identity, well. Live so that people know who you are, who you belong to. And wear it with pride. Pass it on to your children. Because no matter what your name is, it sounds good with His.
#878 - For the joy of a new identity.
"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20
We went to our first wedding of the summer this afternoon. I have always loved going to weddings, and every time we've attended a wedding since our own we always reflect back on our big day. Of course, you're always partial to your own, but I love how each wedding reflects the personality of the couple. I enjoy getting to see what details they picked out for their day, and I always find myself saying things like, "It was totally 'them'."
Them. No longer he and she. They are one. In 20 minutes you go from a me to an us, and from that day forward, your identity has changed. Aaron and I talked about this tonight, and truth be told, while marriage is a big change for both the bride and the groom, the bride has to undergo the most obvious changes. Now, she has a new name. For 20 to 30 years, she had her own last name. Now, she has his. She has to change every document under the sun, get used to saying it, and create her new signature. All of her old monogrammed items can go to the trash. If she's lucky, she might have a cool last name she can pass on to her child. If not, that's it. Her last name doesn't carry on because she has a new identity that will be passed on. Her children will bear his name, her grandchildren will, too, and she'll go to the grave with a death certificate that doesn't match her birth certificate.
When we got to the hotel on our wedding night, Aaron had a little gift sitting for me on the coffee table. I opened it to find a bible with my new name printed on the bottom corner. Brittnye Davis. Truth be told, sometimes I still forget that it's my last name. For a while, I got used to just introducing myself as Brittnye without saying a last name. You know, kind of like Cher and Madonna. They don't use last names and that works well for them. Sometimes I forget I have a last name at all. Anyway, I really appreciated it. It was the first thing I had with my new name, I thought it was most fitting. We got home from our honeymoon and I immediately got my legal documents changed. I was glad to have a new last name, and especially one that was easy to say, spell, and sounded good with my first name. I had a new identity, a new association, and I was proud to be known by it.
That's the job of the bride. She takes on her husband's identity. She's still her own person, but she represents him by bearing his name. I'm not just Brittnye, I am now Aaron's wife. And as the church, as the bride of Christ, that is our job. We belong to Christ, so we are a reflection of Him. If we bear His name, we bear His image. My actions are a direct reflection of Aaron, and the way I present myself affects Aaron's reputation. People will make assumptions about Aaron from interacting with me and vice versa. I want them to think well of him. I want to represent my new identity and name well. And as followers of Christ, the same should hold true.
The moment we become His, we become a new creation. The old self is gone. We are no longer our own. We belong to Him. Not in a controlling, "I own you" manner. Rather in a "I love you and I long to take care of you" manner. Losing our identity isn't so bad when our new identity is found in one who cares for us. When it comes from one who loves us, accepts us, forgives us, and holds our best interest at heart, it's easy to trade it in. Because with your new identity comes so much more than you ever had when you were on your own. Now, you are redeemed, treasured, valued, renewed, and restored. You are an heir, sealed and secured, washed, cleansed, and made perfect in His sight. So carry your new name, your new identity, well. Live so that people know who you are, who you belong to. And wear it with pride. Pass it on to your children. Because no matter what your name is, it sounds good with His.
#878 - For the joy of a new identity.
"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." - Galatians 2:20
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