Namesake...

I'm big on name meanings. It matters to me what a name means and I'm glad it mattered to my parents too. When I was young, I dreaded my grown-up uber Christian name, I just wanted to have a cool name, like Ashley or Stephanie. I'm glad now that I am Bethany instead.

Do you know what your name means? Sorry if you have a made up or trendy name that means "soap opera-ish". I'm learning more about my namesake recently and it all comes from my favorite story in the Bible. The raising of Lazarus. I figure most of my readership is Christian or educated, so you're all probably familiar with this story. If not, you can find it here.

The whole bringing a man back to life thing is not really the important part of this story for me. It's the trust and sorrow and faith part.

Lazarus was sick, so his sisters sent word to Jesus and He told them that this sickness would not end in death. I'm sure that was a great comfort them, they knew Jesus would show up. Except for one thing, Lazarus DIED!!! Can you imagine? This friend you have, who loves you and you love back happens to be God incarnate and he seemingly lied to you? I don't know what sorrow was greater, that their brother died or that GOD, their beloved friend, didn't show up for them. My money is on the latter.

Four days into their heart broken grief fest, Jesus showed up. Martha came to meet Jesus and said two things (which I love). First, she let Jesus know that had He been there, this would NOT have happened. Second, she showed faith and said she knew God would give Jesus whatever He asked for (I can only imagine what was going through her head: pleasebringmybrotherbackfromthedead x1,000 ). Then, my favorite, Jesus told her her brother would rise and she over spiritualized it. Ha! She over spiritualized a conversation with GOD! I think Christians do that a lot-sometimes, it really is what it is. Anywho-then they reiterated that she believed he was indeed God and they got Mary in on everything. Mary had similar sentiments to Martha. Jesus had compassion on them and then the famous, "Jesus wept." happened.

Before they knew it, Lazarus had been raised from the dead. Pretty awesome. But you know, I don't think that un-did the days of sorrow and heartache they went through. I don't think it all of the sudden clicked why He did that-Jesus could have showed his glory in healing Lazarus just as well as raising him from the dead, and it would have been a lot easier on his family. Jesus did show up for them, but it wasn't without pain or sorrow, it wasn't without doubt, and there was some hard waiting involved.

So what on earth does this have to do with my name? Bethany is where all of this went down (as well as the perfume and hair thing). Bethany is where Jesus loved to be. Bethany has meant 'Dwelling place of God' all of my life, but now I also see it meaning other things. Bethany-trust, sorrow, waiting, joy...the place where God showed up.