Your Precious Name
by Brandy Webb
My family and I were blessed to go on a family vacation this summer to Belize. This was our first official family vacation ever. It was a spur of the moment decision. I termed it our “carpe diem” moment because life is unpredictable, and we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Therefore, sometimes it is good to do something with your family when you have the opportunity.
Well, something really inspiring and surprising happened on our trip. To some it may not seem so awesome, but it was to my family and me. We got to witness how a good name is powerful and long lasting. It was a moment that proved Solomon’s wise words, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1).
This is what happened: We went to listen to local music at a restaurant called Loggerheads in Hopkins, Belize. The music was great, and we ended up talking to some people from California. We told them we were from Texas, and two gentlemen behind me overheard us. One of them, Gus, told us that he was from Longview, which just made us all amazed because Josh, my husband, works in Longview. Sometimes the world is small.
As we visited we found out that Gus and his friend work at Eastman, and I let them know that my grandfather used to work there. When I told them my grandfather’s name, Charlie Hewitt, they both were shocked. They worked with him for years, and they only had praise to say about my grandfather. In fact, Gus went on a hunting trip with my grandfather years ago. They let me know that no one uses my grandfather’s locker to this day. It is still known as Charlie’s locker. It was so moving to see how well my grandfather was esteemed. How his name still holds respect and honor eight years after he passed way, and twenty-four years after retiring. It was a valuable life lesson for my kids, my husband, and me to see how important it is to have a good name.
A good name lives on after our spirit returns to God and our flesh returns to dust. A good name can inspire and give hope, bring joy, and comfort to others. I now realize how precious it is to live a life that keeps your name in high esteem. Riches can disappear, but a name can live on year after year. And hopefully, that name will be written in the Book of Life. The truth is, as a Christian it is to the utmost importance to have a good name because we represent Christ here on earth, and when we soil our name we soil his. So, may we all keep our names clean and good, so that years from now people will still keep us in high esteem even after we sleep.