Marked

I have been marked.  I’m not sure if you initially follow that, but I’ll explain.

My daughter, Charli has been marked as well.  She has been marked in a few ways.  First, she has a large scar on her back from having very serious heart surgery within her first month of life.  This scar will continue to stretch as her body gets bigger.  When she had the surgery, she still didn’t even weigh 2 lbs.  Charli’s also marked with many love names.  “Char Char” is one of them.  That one turned into “Charizard” and “Charmander.”  Both of those are from Pokemon.  Don’t ask me how I know that.  All I can say is that I deeply love high schoolers.  That’s my excuse.  And… it’s a long story, but “Panda” might be the one we use the most often.  She is marked.

This little girl is into everything these days.  In the picture below Panda is searching for crumbs.  She’s not actually hungry for food.  We do feed her on occasion… if she behaves well.  She’s still searching.

Lately Kelly and I have been searching.  I’ve been looking for crumbs.  Mark 7 says it well, but my life bears evidence to that truth… His crumbs are powerful and good.  Really grateful for the meal of crumbs He’s been offering. 

Anyways, as I said, I am a marked man as well.  I’ve thought of getting a tattoo for the last year or so.  If you know me well, you know that doesn’t sound like me.  I’ve wanted to get my sons’ names (Lincoln and Tucker) or initials on my body.  It would serve as a reminder of their story.  A reminder of them in my story.  A reminder that it’s all His story. 

My marking is not a tattoo (not yet… still considering that option).  My marking comes from words spoken to me yesterday.  To preface those words… in the last year I have had great excitement and curiosity about a passage in Revelations.  It basically says that when we’re face to face with Christ that He will give us a new name.  This blows my mind.  I can’t wait to hear what it is!  I know it will be nothing like those negative names we’ve all experienced in our lives… probably in middle school.  Those names were painfully marking as well.

My wife came running into the house yesterday morning.  She had been out for an early morning walk.  It was like she had won the lottery, and she wanted to give it all away to me.  The life in her face was undeniable.  The Lord had impressed on her heart something she could not wait to share.  It’s hard to communicate the excitement she had.  Kelly gave me a new name.  This is strange in our day, but it was not strange in biblical times.  Anyways, she was so excited to share it with me.  She looked straight in my eyes with such sincerity and love.  She said that my new name is, “Good Pastor.”  I simply accepted it.  Deeply humbled.  I cried.  I was marked. 

More power in that encounter that I can communicate.  More love than I can remember experiencing in a single moment… maybe ever. 

Grateful. 

Glad to be marked.