The Beauty of Your Name

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Hello, my name is Warren Pfohl

Witam, nazywam się Warren Pfohl (Polish)

Hola, mi nombre es Warren Pfohl. (Spanish)

Merhaba benim adım Warren Pfohl (Turkish)

Bonjour, je m’appelle Warren Pfohl (French)

Salve, mi chiamo Warren Pfohl (Italian)

No matter how you say it, whether in English, Polish, Spanish, Turkish, French, or Italian, I want you to know my name. There is power, beauty, and intimacy in knowing the name of another person. It shows that you want to know and understand someone.  Our name represents our identity, personal history, family background, and connection to our culture and community.  You see, the next time you see me and you wave and say, Hey Warren, how are you, you will make me feel valued, important, and seen.  You will make me feel loved.

Growing up, I was often called Warndell.  I have an identical twin whose name is Wendell.  People couldn’t tell us apart, so they combined Wendell and Warren and created Warndell.  My therapist says I only need another three years of therapy, and I should be over it!  I think this is why I genuinely understand the power and beauty of being known, of someone calling me by my name.  It makes me feel valued, important, seen, and loved.

I love how a proverb in the Old Testament captures the power and beauty of our name.  Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.”

Brenda and I have three sons.  Our oldest son’s name is Christopher.  His name comes from two Greek words: Christos: Christ, and Pheros: to bear.  One who bears Christ.  Our second son, who passed in 2009, is named David.  We picked his name because David was a Man after God’s own heart.  Our youngest son is named Daniel.  In the Old Testament, it meant that God was my judge.  We liked it because Daniel did not bend his knee to the king.  And even though he was tossed into the fire, God protected him.

Many years ago, I was preaching a sermon about the names of God, and I began to wonder what my name meant.  I heard of other names like Abigil, meaning The Father’s Joy, or Alexander: Defender of men, or Zachary: Remembered by God, or Eleanor: Bright, Shining one.  I looked and looked and couldn’t find a definition, so I turned to my trusty dictionary and found this: Warren: a breeding place of rabbits!  So much for the meaning of my name.

I hope today, someone calls you by your name and reminds you that you are a masterpiece, unique, loved, and not alone.  Who can you walk up to today, use their name, and remind them they are loved and not alone?  I dare you!

Warren (That’s my name!) 🙂