His Favorite Daughter

Someone asked me why I used the name Naomi on here instead of using my “real” name. I guess I should explain why I used a different name so people won’t think they’ve ended up at the wrong place.

My “real” name is Mara, that’s the name I was given at birth - Mara Lee - to be exact. My mom thought she was making up a name, combining my paternal grandmother, maternal grandmother, and maternal great-grandmother’s names - Marie, Lena, and Edna Lee. What she didn’t realize is that the name Mara is a Biblical name. “Do not call me Naomi,” she told them. “Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.” (Ruth 1:20 NIV) I thought it was neat having a Biblical name, until I found out what it meant.

Most people don’t realize that the name Mara is a derivative of Mary, which means “bitter.” When I found out what the name really meant, it was like a light went on in my head. I don’t know if you believe that what you hear can make a huge impact on your life or not, I happen to. I felt this might be an explanation to why I had been dealing with bitterness all my life. I feel it’s partially because every time someone said my name, they were just re-enforcing that “bitter” was what I was supposed to be. I think the other part is because I’ve allowed past hurts to cloud my thinking, which made me somewhat bitter.

Anyhow, I had asked my pastor’s wife if God still changes names like what He did with Abram/Abraham, Jacob/Israel, and Saul/Paul. She told me that “God is the same yesterday, today, and forever” therefore, surely it was possible. I told her why I wanted a new name, never really thinking that it would ever happen.

We have some friends that are Messianic Christians. They follow the Torah and try live as much as possible by the laws in that section of the Bible. They also believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, was born of a virgin, came to earth to save us, and that He IS the Messiah that was promised in Scripture. I had mentioned to Lisa that I wished God would change my name, but she quickly dismissed the thought after we tried coming up with “suitable” names. It was never mentioned again.

One weekend we were invited to Lisa’s house for Sabbath. There were six or seven different families, each with several children, as well as Lisa’s family and ours. I think in all there were about 60 people there. Also there was a gentlemen there, I believe he was a Messianic priest. He and Lisa’s husband prayed for me because I have been diagnosed with arthritis and fibromyalgia. During their prayer, it was mentioned that there was bitterness around me and that God was breaking the “chains of bitterness” in my life. He was also giving me a new name. Lisa’s husband said “Naomi,” the young priest said, “No, I hear Hadassah Naomi.” So, I was given my new name.
I knew that Naomi was associated with the name Mara, but had never paid any attention to it’s meaning. And, while I knew that Queen Esther’s Hebrew name was Hadassah, I never paid any attention to it’s meaning, either. In doing research, I found out that Hadassah can mean “hidden” and Naomi means “pleasant,” so Hadassah Naomi would mean something along the lines of “hidden pleasantness.”

Later, I found out that Namoi comes from the male name “Namaa” which also means pleasant. But, if you add the “i” or yod, on the name, it becomes “My sweetie.” You just don’t know how learning that made me feel. It truly made me feel loved by God.

There aren’t that many people that call me Naomi yet, but that’s okay, I can deal with that. I still answer to Mara, or if I’m with my Messianic friends, I go by Naomi. It’s enough to know that God heard my heart’s cry, and responded in such a wonderful way.

Blessings to All