My first church name tag

I finally got a name tag! Over the past year, I’ve really come to appreciate the power in a name and in a community where I am known, so this name tag really means something to me.

There was a time in my life when I wanted to be anonymous so ordering a name tag was the last thing I would do. And then last year I started building a community, something that was long overdue, and I felt ready to be known, although the timing was off for a name tag.

I remember a conversation with one of my Pastors, the one I most felt connected to sometime in early August.  I laugh a bit because this was one of my to do list items in those first weeks after he said it was over - schedule an appointment with my Pastor for support and to talk about what community support I could find at church.  The divorce hadn't even been filed yet.

In the day or two leading up to that August appointment, a church-wide e-mail went out about ordering name tags.  My church is trying to be more welcoming and hospitable and one way they do this is by giving members a couple chances during the year to order a name tag to be worn at church and church events.  

In that moment, I knew something had already shifted in me as I longed to order one but struggled with what name to put on it.  I wasn't ready to start using my birth name again - I'm not even sure I had yet decided whether I would revert back to that name but I just couldn't bring myself to order one with his last name on it.  So I let the deadline pass without ordering one.  My Pastor had assured me there would be future opportunities to order one.

This spring that future opportunity came.  I put my order in the same day the church-wide e-mail went out and then began the wait.  And as luck would have it, they extended the deadline to order one by a month which just prolonged the wait even more.

Those name tags came in this past week and so I left home a bit earlier than normal this morning so that I could walk past the welcome center and pick mine my up on the way to choir practice.  My Pastor saw me come in and told me a name tag with my name on it is on the table.  With a smile, I said, "That is why I came in through this building first this morning."  Before I entered the choir room, it was already proudly displayed on my dress and then when I put my choir robe on, I transferred it so it could be seen during the service.

I'm now in a chapter in my life where I'm ready to be known in my community and it feels so foreign and comfortable all at the same time!