THE STORY BEHIND YOUR NAME: “ELIM”
Exodus 15: 17 [NIV]
“Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.”
The story of the Israelites’ journey through the dessert to the promised land has inspired me greatly, to me, this is a story of how God loves us so dearly that He actually has been very patient with the Israelites despite their complains and disobedience. Their arrival to Elim after their experience with the bitter water in Marah symbolizes every promises of the Lord. At times, there are points in our life that we felt too low, and it happened to me many times in the past. I know the Lord will not forsake me, but when prayers seem unanswered, the promises of the Lord immortalized in “His words” give us the boost of confidence that we needed.
Before you were conceived, I was struggling much with my disobedience with the Lord and all the rejection and injustices I have repeatedly encountered. Again and again I have prayed for rescue, and I was becoming impatient, I was losing hope. I imagine the Lord shaking His head at me, for I have struggled much with my own strength and conviction. And yet He was silent, until I lost all my hope and my heart became too cold and hard, unfeeling and stubborn. In those silent moments of my life, when I refused to do anything with the Lord and was about to give up on life itself, the love of the Lord came pouring at me through the love and caring of the people around me. And just like the frozen snow left by winter, the ice surrounding my heart was slowly melted by the sunlight brought about by spring. Then the Lord have spoken to me, not audibly though, a silent whisper in the deepest part of my being.
“My child, why are you struggling much, have I asked you anything in exchange of whatever I have to offer? I have already forgiven you before you even ask, and yet you cannot forgive yourself. You are very special to me, and I have been waiting for you to tell me to take over and be the captain of your ship. Well my child, will you allow me?”
And so I melt down and cried to the Lord, “I am so weary my Lord and I have no more strength, shall you take me then despite my failure in life and for repeatedly failing you? Again and again the Lord has reassured me, and every time I started to doubt, His promises enlightens me. Just like the Israelites, I have my journey of learning how to live with God as the captain of my life boat. On this journey, I have been receiving many of the Lord’s promises including blessings and the unexplainable joy that only He can give. But just like the Israelites, I have been disobedient even after He has saved me from my miseries. But the Lord will not allow my boat to sink again and He guided me to move forward. At times though, moving forward is so scary I’m afraid to go with the Lord. To me, moving on would mean losing the most important things in my life ̶ the comfort I am not willing to give up. Just like the bitter water of Marah, God has given me a piece of wood so I don’t have to taste the bitterness of life. And yet it was not enough for me, and so the Lord has given me an oasis that would satisfy and brings guarantee that He will never forsake me. And so He has given me you, my ELIM, of twelve springs and seventy palm trees ̶ a place of rest and abundance through the Lord Jesus!