Whether by object lessons, rope tricks, street preaching with paint boards, or just meeting people where they’re at—for example, talking with a farmer about the laws of harvest—the enthusiasm, boldness and creativity of the believers in sharing the good news in “salty” ways motivated me to ask the Lord to show me some creative ways to use as doors to introduce Him to others. For, as has been said, we can lead a horse to water, but we can’t make him drink—unless we give him salt to make him thirsty!
The meaning of my name Renee is born again. It has been a springboard to share the gospel since I was young. In Mexico where I live, Renee is a man’s name and other kids would ask me why I was named that.
A few times the Lord has opened a door to share the good news through the meaning of other people’s names. My first night in South Dakota, I was thinking about this in bed and wanted to quickly learn some more names by finding a book of names and their meanings, or by getting on the internet. But realizing the futility of this in an already jammed schedule, I asked the Lord to show me how to use the ones I already knew: the three most recent ones being Eleanor, Katie, and Megan…but I only knew how to use “Megan” in a clear gospel message.
The next day there was only one new person that I met by name. Yup—Megan! She was the cashier at the grocery store. She knew the meaning of her name, and I asked her if she knew Jesus’ story of the Pearl of Great Price. She said she didn’t. Then I told her about how a wealthy man who wanted a beautiful pearl and sold everything that he had to buy it. As she checked the veggies through, she listened to how Jesus left everything that He had in heaven to come and pay the greatest price—His life—to purchase her.
Driving back with Katie Morell, she mentioned the difficulty of going door to door that week. I told her about the “name” doors and how the Lord brought a “Megan” along that day. Then I realized hers was one of the other names I was talking with the Lord about the night before! She didn’t know it meant “pure,” but came up with a way to share the gospel from it: “the pure in heart” will “see God,” so are our hearts pure? No, they are desperately wicked, but Jesus can cleanse us and make us white as snow, so we can see God! We went back and gave Megan a packet and invited her to the meetings.
Now I was waiting with bated breath for Him to bring an “Eleanor,” meaning “brightness” along. But it didn’t exactly happen that way. Out of the mouth of babes He ordains strength: Lydia Huntington (8 years old) went door to door with me, and told me her name meant “beautiful light,” then quoted, “For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:6).
I asked her if she had always had His light, and she told me how she accepted Jesus one day reading Bible stories. We decided to play with some kids at the Jungle Gym and eventually introduce ourselves with the meanings of our names. After playing a bit with one particular girl, we introduced ourselves, but at that moment her mother called her and she went running off.
Nonetheless the Lord did abundant things that week, and showed me His great goodness in teaching me how to use people’s names to open doors for Him!