what's in a name? & thoughts on garbage dumps in our soul

I am curious, does anybody still believe that our Heavenly Father would change a name?

Back in the day, Saul's name was changed to Paul, Jacob to Israel, Abram to Abraham.

I ask because I think my name was kind of creatively changed...interesting story, please read on..

Several years ago I was writing a speech for college graduation. In midst of writing the speech, I got a little distracted and I had a discovery... I started messing with the letters of my name. Randomly I put the first 3 of my last name with first 3 of my first. Mathematically this is kel+ali=kelali, (it rhymes with "tamale" sounds like k-la-lee, or lolli-pop with a 'k").

Kelali.

Weird, but I liked this a lot because it sounded African. Since a kid I have always wanted to go to Africa. Later that day, I saw my roommates and announced that "Kelali" was my African name. one roommate, getting my sense of humor, had fun with it. kelali became a nickname.

Fast forward several years and I finally go to Africa. Before I leave, someone says, "Oh you gotta go by kelali in Af. That is your African name." It made me laugh. I was planning on it. I was excited that I could go there and "be" Kelali and nobody would know that wasnt my "real" name.

So I get to Africa and I am with the Makua people group who speak the Makua language. When I tell the kids my name is Kelali they laugh and say "Kelala". This would happen every time. They would actually call me "kelala" and not kelali. Soooooo... I soon realized it was a word in their language and thought that it was so cool that I would come to Africa, be with the Makua people, and of all places they would have such a word as one letter off from this "name" that had come to be mine.

Venturing on, after I left Africa I traveled to Israel. While there, I began to wonder if I really wanted to go back to "Alicia" with all the significance I had just experienced in the new name, plus it is even derived from my real name. I decided to actually research the origins of this word before I returned to the States. Interestingly enough, after doing an internet search I found the word in rwo origins- Africa and Israel. that's it. nowhere else.

I am the type of person that likes to glance around and see the symbols and meaning presented to us in everyday happenings. I see it as a type of "poetry". it is formless, sometimes wordless. It may be a stick shaped like a smile underneath two perfect circles of bird poop (aka a naturally-occurring smiley face) (ridiculous, but I do have a pic of that ;). Or it could be something spoken by a child at just the right moment, coming as an answer to prayer. it could be a name changed, renewed.. Somebody I know calls these "God winks". I believe it just may be the Spirit speaking... wind blowing in through the window (literal and figurative).There is revelation to be had. There are "woos" (window of opportunity) to experience. Discovery. Kairos. Do we want to see? Do we want to hear?

I believe that the Spirit of God is constantly speaking. Whether we come or go, sit. or stand very still. The key is that our heart is positioned to hear and our eyes are open to see. I believe stories are being written everyday into the windows of our soul- bridging the space perhaps b/t our soul and spirit- but we have to live dynamically still (within), expectant even for the Father's voice to speak as whispers within. Maybe we have to be willing for the lines of poetry to be written...

In a way, perhaps we have to want them, crave them even. My friend Heidi Baker says, "the hungry always get fed." She relates this truth to seeing poor, starving people in the garbage dumps of the world who will push, fight, break teeth even for garbage dump food.

But there are garbage dumps in our souls. Do we want them cleaned out? Do we want real food? Do we want living water? Do we want to continually drink of that water? We have to go after the food.

The food is Christ. The Lord's supper is a living supper not just a sacrament. "This is my body, eat... this is my blood, drink... He who drinks of me will never thirst again... come to the waters, come and eat. come and drink...eat what is good.."

So maybe those thoughts have nothing to do with the name story, but I would like to finish that...

I did decide to go by Kelali when I got back to the States. After a year or so, I kinda got tired of Kelali with Kelly (last name). Just a little redundant. and well, I was kind of hoping that I was going to be married and that the last name would change!! haha (still single). People started telling me that alicia was "more professional". One day, I find myself kinda praying in my head about going back to alicia for these "professional purposes." Few moments later, I walk into a coffee shop and as I walk by a table with two women a lady says, "Kelala is my new word" !!! No joke. I completely stop in my tracks and I look at her and say, "What did you just say??" and she says, "Kelala is my new word." Then she looks at me and looks at her friend and kinda giggles as she says, "I don't know what it means.. it just came out of my mouth" ....

So what do you guys think, does our Father who made the heavens,hung the stars, sends down wind and rain.. still change names ??? .... or on other thoughts- what do u think about garbage dumps and the soul ....

"Call to me and I will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known." Jeremiah 33.3

(P.S. In Makua, "kelala" means 'super spicy'.)