What’s in a name? Everything.

What’s in a name? Everything. After breath from God, a name is the first gift a person receives when entering the earth. And a name is the last thing that is remembered about a person when they leave this earth. In several cultures it is believed that a name is a prophetic declaration of what a person’s life will be like. It is more than something that makes up their identity. A name is what calls that person into their destiny.

While I was pregnant with our daughter, my husband and I could not decide on a name. We had many ideas and suggestions that would be cute but they did not seem to fit her. When she was born, I remembered a suggestion given by one of my Spartan “Legion” alums. She said, “You should name her Cadence.” No other name stuck like that one. Both her father and I participated in marching bands and with her father being a percussionist it seemed very befitting. A cadence is a term that has to do with setting the pace for a musical piece. It is a rhythmic flow of several sequences of beats. To give her name some uniqueness we spell it “Kadance”. Her middle name is “Imani” which is Swahili for faith.

Her name was both a reflection of my pregnancy and the prophetic declaration over her life. It took a special “rhythm of faith” in God through Jesus to get us through. This was something that I nor my husband had endeavored. We needed the help of the Lord to conquer this uncharted territory from the time she was conceived, throughout navigating all the life changes, all the way through to her birth by way of cesarean delivery. Through everything we encountered and endured the Lord has been faithful. He has been mindful of us. He has been and will always be true to His word.

In her dedication ceremony to the Lord, our pastor, Rev. Dr. Cedric Rouson spoke so profoundly with these words:

“In many cases, in music, the person who is playing the song isn’t the one who wrote it. The person who wrote it, wrote it and had it scribed to sheet music. The sheet music is made available so that anyone who gets their hand on it, and knows what to do with it, can play the cadence. The two of you conceived Kadance but you didn’t create her. God wrote this song. I don’t care how the sheet music go to you. Every baby who was played into this life’s song, was crafted by the hand of God. Because you steward a gift from God, you must understand then that God has ordained you to play Kadance’s life out according to the sheet music. The Word of God. You don’t have to figure out what key to put her life in. What tempo to put her life in. You don’t have to determine the rhythm. The Lord already did that in God’s Word. Now, you’re gonna get off beat some days. Some days you’re gonna lose your sticks. Some days you're gonna forget the repertoire. Those who know music theory, know there is a certain thing called a rest. A rest in sheet music is when the instrumentalist or singer does not perform periodically. But just because that person doesn’t perform, that doesn’t mean the song is ended. When you have run out of breath, strength, and capacity, don’t think for one second that her song has ended. Rest and then get back in the fight.”

My prayer, for the rest of her life, is that she come to know the Lord for herself in an undeniable way. And that she keep in mind that God has scored her life and He orchestrates every detail of it as the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent arranger and conductor. Not just in her life but in everyone’s life. My prayer and hope is that her life be a rhythm of faith. Where it crescendos to mountain tops and higher places in the Lord. Where it sustains in valleys and in times of testing and perfecting. A faith that is never lost even when she is in periods of rest from performing. When God is still orchestrating the song of her life. May the instruments that she plays on, her talents, gifts, accomplishments, all the things, may they bring glory, honor, and praise to God.

This piece was inspired by her name. It depicts several percussive instruments: a djembe, set of maracas, and a tambourine. And lines to express their sounds. It also displays several elements of our faith as Believers in Jesus Christ. The loaves and fishes speak to the miracles He did by feeding multitudes of thousands of people. He is the Lion of Judah. He is the Lamb of God. He is our Savior through the redemptive work of the cross. He is our soon coming King. My hope is that this piece not only blesses her through aesthetics, but that it ministers to her concerning the meaning of her name, the prophetic declaration is carries, and our prayers for her life. My hope is that others are blessed, enriched, and ministered to through this piece. I hope that it encourages parents to seek the Lord for wisdom and to understand the seriousness of what they name their children. Because what you name your child, is what you are declaring over their life. Proverbs 18: 21 (KJV) “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

So what’s in a name?