This year I found out what my name means.
All my life, my parents have told me that my name means ‘grace gift.’ Charis means ‘grace’ in Greek and after 4 years of trying to get pregnant and praying for a child, I was on the way and they saw me as their ‘grace gift’ and named me Karissa. For years, I said things like, “My name means grace, but I’m not very graceful at all.”
grace: (n.) simple elegance or refinement of movement
Not many things I do are graceful. I can’t cook without getting food all over the counters and floors. I can’t do the dishes without spraying myself with water. I can’t walk on uneven ground without slipping or almost face planting. I failed to look at the actual definition of grace.
grace: (n.) the free and unmerited favor of God; a divinely given talent or blessing
In month ten, while in Malawi, I loved meeting people and learning their names: Prophecy, Innocent, Gift, Happy, Favor, Peace are just some of my favorites. I have always fully believed in the meaning and power behind a name. In the Bible, God renamed His chosen people for prophetic reasons, to speak life into their future and not death. Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Saul to Paul. Jacob to Israel. I have personally seen so many people live up to their names, good and bad.
In Malawi, when I would tell people my name was Karissa, and they could not pronounce it easily, I would say, “My name means ‘grace’. You can call me Grace if that’s easier.” Towards the end of the month, a teammate told me that as I shared my testimony, she could see that my name had so much meaning because my life was full of grace. Me? Grace? Then in my time with the Lord, He showed me that my life is filled with examples of God’s grace.
Before the Race:
- Salvation
- Parents who live the example of what it means to be a Christ follower and who love me unconditionally
- Protection from never dating: heartache, violated physical boundaries
- Anonymous gifts in the form of money for groceries or paying off account balances or a car
- Friends who love the Lord and seek to know Him and live for Him
- A job that I loved
On the Race:
- Community: friends who see me, encourage me and call me higher
- Safety from traumatic events: walked away from getting dropped from a 100 ft. waterfall without a scratch, surviving several trips on Death Road, not going to watch the sunset with my friends who were in a car accident, complete protection while on the side of a mountain during an earthquake, no one severely hurt during a robbery and attack
- Closer intimacy with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Influence on my squad to lead, disciple and encourage them
- Favor to share the gospel and lead others to salvation
These are just a few ways that God has proved faithful and shown me abundant, undeserved favor. Psalm 16:2 was my favorite verse before the Race, but it was reinforced this year. “Apart from You I have no good thing.” Nothing I do for myself will ever be good compared to His presence in my life. I have seen His grace over and over again how He provides, protects, heals, frees, blesses, calls and empowers me. This year has clearly displayed His hand in every area of my life. No longer can I avoid, deny or downplay the meaning of my name.
My life is daily grace.
Are you living up to your name?
