What's In A Name?

I've been reading books that have been on my shelf for years... ones I kept thinking "yeah, I read that... i got all that". Whatever! The Lord is bringing some great revelation to me from the classics. One of those classics on my bookshelf is called "The Lost Glory: Moving Toward God's Plan for the Restoration of Glorious, Creative Worship." by Dave Markee.

So I'm praying this morning and the Lord says "49"... 49 what? I don't know... i fumble around in my Bible and then that book catches my eye. I opened it to page 49 and it says "Discovering Your Destiny and Purpose". Cool! I start reading, it's good stuff and then it gets to the end. Dave Markee says this: "If you make a study of your name it may provide an important clue to your destiny in God. However, having received some revelation from God on this, don't be surprised if you think "I couldn't be more difference from the name God has given me. Your Destiny and Calling will always be resisted."

That word really resonated in my spirit so I thought, "hey, i have 20 minutes or so before I have to get Cameron ready for school... why not?" So, I started googling my name: Matthew James Tommey. Here's what I got:

Matthew: Gift of God
James: May God Protect and Holder of the Heel
Tommey: Small Mountain or Hill

The name Tommey is actually one of many derivations from an Irish word, Ó Tuama, which refers to a town in Ireland called Tuam in west-central Ireland. Stay with me.... this is good. :)

I started researching the city of Tuam and here's the story from Wikipedia..."The history of Tuam as a settlement dates from the early 6th century. Legend states that a monk called Jarlath, or Iarlaith, who was a member of a religious community at Cloonfush some four miles west of Tuam and adjacent to the religious settlement at Kilbannon. Jarlath's life became uncertain as he wished to travel. Eventually, Jarlath's abbot St. Benignus of Kilbannon told him to "Go, and where ever your chariot wheel breaks, there shall be the site of your new monastery and the place of your resurrection". Jarlath's wheel broke at Tuam and he established a monastery there. As was typical with early settlements in Ireland, religious sites became established first and towns grew around them. Likewise, Tuam grew up around the monastery and has kept the broken chariot wheel as its heraldic symbol."

Just like my life, I too came to a place where "I was uncertain and wished to travel".... to get out of here, to run from the calling of God. And so I, like Jarlath ran hard until the wheels of my chariot broke. It was in the place of brokenness that God restored Jarlath and me... and it was in that place of brokenness that he chose to birth new vision and erect a ministry that would impact the kingdom in a huge way.

The other cool thing about this? God told me a couple of months ago that my calling was for "Ministry and Marketplace, both fulltime". It says about the town of Tuam that to this day it's known as a commercial centre for both festivals (art) and markets (business).

God confirmed to me today that my calling is 1) a gift to the Body of Christ 2) a protector of the artists as a father who would raise them up and 3) birthed out of the place of brokenness for both ministry and marketplace, that out of that he will shake the kingdoms of the earth.

I want to encourage you today.... find out who God has called YOU to be and go for it... what an adventure!!