Palm Tree

Reverend Ginger (yes, a Methodist preacher woman) provided our "spiritual refreshment" times at the Maternity Home Association retreat I attended in Butler, TX, over the weekend. She actually had something interesting to share and I would like to share it with you.

Someone from her congregation once asked how Satan -- not being omniscient, omnipotent, etc. -- can so perfectly attack us. After pondering it for a moment, Reverend Ginger replied that it has to be our names that give him an edge over us. She pointed out how much importance God put on names. After all, the Bible records episodes of Him changing people's names. Anyone remember that Saul/Paul situation?

So Reverend Ginger decided to tell us all what our names mean, give an illustration, and then provide a scripture for us each. I knew already that my name, Tamra, is Hebrew for palm tree. "What have you got for that, Reverend Ginger?" I thought to myself. All these other people had beautiful, flowing, scriptural names and then boom -- palm tree. But she pulled through quite well.

"Tamra, your name means palm tree. When I think about palm trees, I think about all the storms in Florida right now. And you know how they show all those clips on the news with some weatherman standing in front of a palm tree that's blowing in these gusting winds but hasn't fallen over? That's you! And that is how Satan will try to work on you -- he'll give you storm after storm, trying to weaken you and pull you from your roots. But if you have your foundation in Christ, you will be able to stand firm, no matter how fierce the storms that hit you."

Then she gave me Psalm 92:12-15. "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, 'The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.'"

Food for thought...