This was written for the Five Minute Friday Community, where a number of writers gather for a weekly writing challenge around a single word prompt and write to our hearts content, but only for five minutes (or there about! I have marked where my five minutes stopped).

This weeks word prompt is ‘name’. Click here if you want to see what other people wrote. You can also have a go yourself. What do you think of when you hear the word ‘name’?

When I was growing up through school I was an easy target. With moving around a lot, I was always the new girl in class and I had very little self confidence. As a result, I was the class victim for everyone’s amusement. The problem though was I didn’t find it very funny. 

I was given lots of names. It wasn’t too bad at first. It started off with people turning my name into something similar that didn’t sound nice. Or they would rhyme it with something else, like “Lynne, you belong in a bin”. 

Sticks and stones

Most people have heard of the phrase, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me”. I played this over and over in my head in the hopes it would keep me strong. But it didn’t work. The constant name calling got to me after a while. And they knew this. 

~~~End of five minutes~~~

My “friends” ramped up their derogatory name calling. I was told I was ugly…fat…stupid…and weird, to name a few of the milder ones. As time went on, the names got worse along with the intensity of the bullying. 

How did I cope?

Not very well. I resorted to self harm as a way of coping with the pain. I was told no-one liked me so what was the point. People threw things at me in class and often waited for me after school to taunt me as I walked home. I felt like a failure and that my life didn’t mean anything. 

When you tell someone they can’t do something, or start calling them derogatory names, often they’ll end up believing you. I believed them. I didn’t know any different.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Romeo and Juliet

This is one of the most famous quotes from William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. Juliet is arguing that it does not matter where Romeo is from. She doesn’t care about what his name is, but it’s more about who he is.

Whatever names we are called when we were younger means nothing. What is more important is who we are. The names we are given does not define us. Our attributes and our actions is what does. 

The names we are given does not define us. Our attributes and our actions is what does. #IAmWorthy Click To Tweet

What am I?

It has taken me a long time to remove those names given to me when I was younger. I’ll be honest, I still do struggle removing them from time to time. I am beginning to give myself some new names though. Names, I believe, God has given me. Because, ultimately, God knows who I am. 

I am accepted. 

To the praise of the glory of his grace, in which he has made us accepted in the beloved. Ephesians 1:6

I am beautiful. 

Let the king be enthralled by your beauty; honour him, for he is your lord. Psalm 45:11

I am God’s masterpiece.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10

I am worthy.

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:6-7

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Something to think about…

Do you see yourself worthy to be loved? Please hear this…YOU are SO worthy to be loved. If we want to be a vessel of God’s love so we can love others, we have to grasp this truth with both our hands. Why not be kind to yourself today? Maybe treat yourself to a hot chocolate, or give yourself that quiet time you need. Maybe even buy yourself some flowers. Whatever you decide to do, remember you are loved and you are worth it. 

If we want to be a vessel of God’s love so we can love others, we have to accept the love from God. #IAmLoved Click To Tweet

Prayer

Lord, I humbly come to you and ask for help. Help me to see myself as you see me. Help me to love myself as I am, just as you love me. Help me to remove the names placed on me and replace them with names you have given me. I thank you for showing me how much I am worth by sending your Son to die for me. I am sorry I have not believed how much you love me and I ask for your forgiveness. Amen.