What’s in a Name?

Stick with me on this.

The definition of “something” is “a thing that is unspecified or unknown”. The noun definition of a name is “a word or set of words by which a person, animal, place, or thing is known, addressed, or referred to”. So quite literally, I am already named from myself. I am Tiffany. There are billions of people on this earth, I am one of those somethings, a unique something, I am unknown and unspecified to many; so, I am me.

Let’s get to know each other, because now naming this something no longer makes it unspecified or unknown, right?

In my faith based knowledge and appropriate for this Easter weekend, I am led to Exodus 3:14 where God is speaking with Moses. Moses poses the question of who should I tell them has asked me to tell them of this? An unknown source, of something unspecified. In response, he states “I am”. That is all we need to know. He is. He has created everyone in the imagery of himself, so even though we were named at birth by our parents, we have already been named after something. The Great I am. (Ecclesiastes 6:10).

Do I know what this prompt is really asking? Of course, but in my thought of thoughts and my personality for being a “literal” sarcastic person, I couldn’t help but really draw it out.

I’m not quite sure, if I want anything to specifically be named after me. My name is actually quite popular (and just so happens my initials as well); let me just name a few off the top of my head:

Tiffany
1. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (song)
2. Tiffany Jewelry
3. Tiffany Lamp
4. Tiffany -singer (I think we’re alone now)
TLC
1. Tender Loving Care
2. TLC – the music group
3. The TV network

I’m sure you could add more to this list. Something else you will learn about me as we continue this journey, is that I have a passion for photography. I think more so nature but that’s another topic for another day. Whenever I “promote” myself, I often refer to it as though the imagery came from TLC Studios.

I once had this dream/goal of having enough property that I could have a cute little “shed” or small cabin on it. In the style of a log house with a front porch that would house my studio. This dream/goal has since faded but I still think about it from time to time. I just know it’s not in the cards for me, as there are more prominent goals/dream in the forefront of my mind.

To take this back to a spiritual forefront, I think of the spiritual meaning of my name; the revelation, manifestation, or Devine manifestation of God. To flip the script on the prompt, I pose the question of What have you named yourself after something already “named”?

My answer. Butterfly. And why my blog is called Life Outside The Cocoon. As we continue this journey, you will learn of my past, and some of the darkness I lived in. But, the beautiful thing in relation to butterflies is that in order to grow into this beautiful and unique creature, they must endure darkness for a short time. My literal existence.

And now, I live in the light, in my uniqueness, in my own beauty, in His beauty, in my Name. The name of something unknown, unspecified but known and specified all in the same.