[Titled]

I hate titling things. Isn't it hard sometimes? I think it is, but I don't know just why that is.
Maybe it has to do with finality. Once you put a name on something
and slap a label on it...
              or punch in those last words up top...
              or finally think you've found those few, descriptive words that are just right...
...everything seems thrown up into the air! What you thought might be the "just right" mix of words to describe something overall...suddenly just won't cut it. It's not enough!

Just think about it. Think of a favorite book or essay or blog/blog post (of yours or someone else's) and how much you enjoyed reading it. How much it spoke to you, how much it said in that (relatively) small space of page or screen. It was a lot, right?

Now, try to remember the title of it.
Was it one word, a few, or a long phrase?
Examples....
A Far Country
Water for Elephants
"The Open Window"
"Information Overload"
'Cold War'


Very often, the title doesn't quite fit. Maybe the writer just didn't spend much time thinking about it.
However, sometimes whatever those few, special words the author, songwriter, blogger, or filmmaker chose do fit. And fit  absolutely, perfectly. So much so, the title itself becomes a direct part of what people remember about the piece!

Whenever I read any of Andree Seu's columns for WORLD magazine, I usually remember the title distinctly, in addition to the content. (Often, the accompanying neat illustrations are imprinted in my head very well too; but that's a whole another post.)
Titles have a tendency to define and characterize things. Just by mere association, or by the poignancy of the words. It's strange to think about it, but I would even go so far to say that the difference between a well-chosen title and a poor title is what makes or breaks many books, movies, songs, etc.

Hmm, and you know, names are very much like titles too...
Have you ever met someone with such a strange, wild, unusual name that you couldn't get over? Through no fault to them, it may have turned out to be impossible for you to get used to saying and hearing their name! (Much like an unwelcome nicknames are to ourselves.)

On the other hand, a beautiful or grand name inspires admiration sometimes. Which is funny because our given names are bestowed upon us, we don't have much of  a choice in the picking, unless we want to change them later on. Whether you are happy with how your 'title' describes you or not, you're stuck with it pretty much! And you become known by what you are name (or titled). Sometimes that is a very good thing, and sometimes it is not so well for us...

Thankfully, there is something interesting (and very different) about God and how He names us.
While we may have individual names with differing meanings, He calls all of his children very specific names collectively. Names like...

fearfully and wonderfully made  Psalm 139:13-14

His precious Bride Isaiah 54:5

crowns of Creation Hebrews 2:7

loved Sons and daughters 2 Corinthians 6:18

It is amazing, and strangely wonderful! To think that this mighty, loving, just, and powerful God of the whole Universe adores His creations: us. Even though He deserves all the greatest and best titles in the whole world...He takes time to name us, too. Each, by name, and as a whole.
Baffling, amazing and yet totally God's way. :)

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So, what about you? :)
What are you called? How do you think what you've been named has defined your existence? (Or how has it not?) What would you like to be 'titled' if it came right down to it?