In case you're wondering, "What's this 'Warrior Standing Tall' all about?" It didn't come from me, but I really like it. Have you ever wondered if God has a special name just for you? I never did until a couple of months ago when we had our ladies retreat.

For the second year in a row at our retreat, I had to reprise my role as the "warrior girl" and dress in this goofy costume that to me looked like the Jolly Green Giant, except that it was black. I had a huge sword and came out a-swingin' at the unseen dark forces that are around us on a daily basis. This was to give a visual of spiritual warfare. (Ephesians 6)

At this retreat, we were to have three different alone times with God called "Covenant of Silence," where we sat and listened to what God had to say to us. And one of the questions we were to ask him was, "Do you have a name just for me?" The woman who organized the retreat had been given a name a few months prior to this and I thought it was the coolest thing. I wanted a name!! I don't know that everyone thought much about this, or even cared that much, because this was just one of many questions we could ask him. But I loved the name He gave her and I wanted one!

So on Friday night of the retreat we have our first "Covenant of Silence." I had never really been taught how to be still and listen to God. It was much harder than I thought. I found my alone spot on the floor in the bathroom of our room and started by praying and asking him if he would give me a name. My stomach kept growling and that was distracting me, and the floor was cold and hard. I thought, "This isn't working. I don't know how to silence my mind and just listen for Him to speak."

So, I opened up my bible to read. I thought, "Maybe at the next covenant of silence, I'll get a word from him." I turned to Isaiah because I love that book. I started reading Isaiah 62. And verse 62:2b says, "...you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow." Looking back, that was my first sign, but just like an Israelite I DIDN'T GET IT! (until later)

The next morning we had our second "Covenant of Silence." I didn't really have a plan, so I just started praying and just sitting silent. A couple of things kept coming to my mind. The word "warrior" and "standing tall" kept popping into my head. And I asked God, "Is that my name? Or is that from me because I am dancing around in that silly costume tonight? Or is it because I think that's a cool name and would love to be known as 'Warrior Standing Tall?'" I wasn't sure, so I just asked for confirmation about it.

Later that night at our last "Covenant of Silence" I just thumbed through our materials that we were given and opened up my bible to no particular place. I still wasn't sure how to do this "listening" time with God since it was so foreign to me. So once again, I just closed my eyes and asked for confirmation about the warrior thing, because it kept coming to mind. I sat and listened, trying to keep the distractions around me from interfering. A single word kept popping into my head - "Amos." Over and over I kept hearing, "Amos, Amos, Amos." I'm thinking, "What in the world does Amos have to do with anything?"

So I turned my bible to Amos. How many times have I read the book of Amos? Probably once or twice in my whole life! I just flipped over to it wondering if I was supposed to read the whole thing or what. It opened up to chapter two, and my eyes looked down and the first thing I saw was verse 14 and verse 16. A single word in each of those verses caught my eye - "WARRIOR"!!!!! I just started crying because to me that was total confirmation that God had given me that name. Why else would the name "Amos" come into my head? And to open it up right to those verses. I have even checked a couple of other translations of those verses and they don't use the word "warrior," but my bible does.

The thing that blows my mind and is hard to comprehend is that the God of ABRAHAM, NOAH, DAVID, PAUL...all these incredible, outstanding people of the bible would make time for little bitty nothing ME...and reveal himself in a personal way meant just for ME.

God is so COOL!! He sees me as a warrior standing tall, even when I don't. And even though I haven't been through any truly "trying times" since getting my name, it has come in handy on several occasions when I think I can't do something or I'm stressed about something. I just repeat my new name over and over in my head and it gives me strength, because that's how HE sees me.

I don't know what God has planned for me - if I'm gonna skate by in this life with relatively minor problems, or if there's a big storm ahead. But I know that I am "Warrior Standing Tall" because God said so and that's good enough for me. As Habakkuk 3:18 says, "I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior" no matter what.

God rocks!