The meaning of my name

Recently, a Facebook quiz, what does your name mean, has been filling my news feed. I can tell you that the meaning of my name has always been important to me since the day my mother told me my name was given to me by God. Why this name? Why not another. And because my name has always been important, I can tell you that the Facebook quiz results are hogwash. 

My name really means house of... And what the house is of has been up for interpretation. Some references say wine, others God. I recently searched again and saw reference to song. The idea behind house is a safe place, somewhere that something resides. 

So, I can interpret my name as a place where song and joyfulness in God resides. As someone who loves to sing, and who connects with God through music, that seems just about right. 

But I've recently had another aha moment with my name. A safe place to reside. I have a near compulsion to offer my own physical house as a place for people to reside when they are in need. Although I have never set out to do this, situation after situation presents itself to me, and I end up opening my doors once again. I've come to believe it is something I'm simply called to do. I'm not saying I can't say no, really, but it gives me great joy to be able to offer up my house again.

Now that I have children, I expected this to slow down. Instead I found an Au Pair, and then another, so I find myself continuing to do the same thing. And I'm offering my house in New Mexico up for a family in transition. I don't say this to brag or inflate myself, but rather look at this objectively and am amazed that once again, this is where I find myself again. 

So why do I have my name, well, I'm beginning to understand that this is one thing I simply am. I am a house, a place of refuge, a place to join and sing a song of thanks to God. I am a place in which God resides.