‘Chasing a Good Name . . .’

I often see many insights in movies . . . what can I say, I dig movies – great escapes that ultimately bring me back to a more insightful reality.

I have referred to the movie, ‘Sommersby’ a few times now. Richard Gere plays the character of one man who actually (because they could have been twins in appearance) steals the NAME of another man after this man’s death because his own was one of bad reputation. The GOOD in him wanted desperately to LIVE the life of that GOOD NAME.

So I began to think . . . What’s IN a name?

When I tapped into dictionary .com, I was shocked to see that there were 35 entries for this one little word – more reinforcement to what I already know – there is MORE to a name than many want to admit.

There were a few definitions that really struck me:

The Obvious:
1. a word or a combination of words by which a person, place, or thing, a body or class, or any object of thought is designated, called, or known.

We are KNOWN at first sight by something.

The Specific:
4. a reputation of a particular kind given by common opinion

We are KNOWN at first sight by something . . . and then BY COMMON OPIONION – by reputation – something GAINED after TIME, we are recognized by a more SPECIFIC classification based on our ACTIONS.

The Insight:
22. designed for or carrying a name

We are KNOWN at first sight by something . . . and then recognized by Reputation . . . BUT this reputation often grows out of something that we were actually DESIGNED to become.

We have a genetic make-up in the PHYSICAL REALM which is our body function. But we ALSO have a genetic make-up in the SPIRIT REALM – that which we were INTENDED to become.

And WHEN we live and ACT OUTSIDE of this SPIRITUAL genetic make-up – we often develop a NEGATIVE reputation . . . something we were never INTENDED to have.

In the movie, Richard Gere’s character NEEDED to BECOME the GOOD NAME that was inherently IN HIM. In the end, He was WILLING to DIE OFF in order to REMAIN the GOOD that that name carried.

~

You will not always understand what you are ‘chasing’ . . . but I can promise you that you will RECOGNIZE it WHEN you eventually ‘catch it’. . . because, like any good name, the things that ARE intended for you all along . . . WHEN you KILL OFF those things that were NEVER INTENDED to be . . . like a struggling plant that is freed from the tangle of weeds . . . it will eventually GROW YOU to good reputation . . .

Keep Chasing . . .