So... tell me about the Name Change!!!

for those of you who know me, but haven't read about my change of name, you may be surprised to see me as "Shoshana" instead of Sharon.

I have wanted to change my name for many years (the name Sharon, as the most common name for girls in 1971, the year I was born, has unpleasant connotations in England, precisely, I suspect, because it was so common, although in my case it was specifically chosen because it was a Bible name, from the Plain of Sharon in Israel), and more so since embarking on my spiritual journey.

I was baptised at a United Reform church years ago, but unlike the Catholic Church at confirmation and with conversion to Judaism, there is no tradition of taking a new name, which is a shame I think, because baptism is supposed to signify becoming something new (and actually, I remember feeling very flat afterwards).

The subject has been on my mind again recently, and I decided to ask in prayer to be "given" a name.  I don't do the hearing voices thing!! but I always hope or imagine that Word will come in some recognisable way.  In this case, the only name I could think of, after thinking the matter over for some time, is a Jewish name I have liked for a long time: Shoshana, so I decided to look up the meaning of Shoshana in my "The Complete Book of Hebrew Baby Names" by Smadar Shir Sidi.

Shoshana is apparently a rose or a Lily, and Shoshana HaAmakim is the Lily of the Valley (one of the names referring to the Holy One of Israel).

But to my amazement, the Shoshana HaAmakim "grows in the Sharon" in Israel!

I can't claim that this has come by divine inspiration at all, of course, but it does strike me as rather remarkable, so I have decided to adopt Shoshana as my own.  Quite how that will take effect, I'm not sure, but I'd like to think it will become in some way part of my identity.

And then, 

Following my decision to adopt the name 'Shoshana', I have made another remarkable discovery!

I read a short missionary biography in a book called "When the Roof Caved In" a couple of years ago which contained stores of tragedy and trials which Christian missionaries endured and remained faithful.  I was amazed to find a story about a couple with the same surname as my husband: Tootill. It is interesting because this spelling of Tootill is unusual, without the 'h' which people inevitably put in anyway when spelling out our name!

Jim and Doreen Tootill were missionaries in Thailand in the 50's and 60's, and on a night boat crossing, at a confluence of two rivers, their boat was capsized and everyone including their family and their two small children, David who was 5 and Janet who was 2 years and 8 months went under. Jim and Doreen and David managed to surface fairly quickly, but little Janet was under the water for 20 minutes before she was found, and it was too late.

Last week I stumbled across the names Jim and Doreen Tootill on the internet, and decided to send an e-mail.  I was very surprised the next day to receive a phone call, from somebody who I thought was my uncle David, his voice was so familiar, but in fact it was Jim Tootill!  We had a very interesting chat about the possibility that we might be distantly related, about their terrible tragedy, and about his great grandfather, the head of the Tootill family in Bolton, where the Tootills appear to have originated, Abraham Tootill!

Another thing which I discovered in the course of our conversation was that the name Tootill (or Toothill with the 'h') is an Anglo-saxon name for a lookout place, suggesting perhaps that the original Tootills were lookouts, or Watchmen!

Wow! I turned straight to my Bible!  A large part of my spiritual journey has been to pray for and support Israel, to be 'a watchman'.

There are three Hebrew word for Watchmen: ???? sha^mar (Strong's H8104), tsa^pha^h ??? (H6822) and na^tsar  ??? (H5341)

I was going to quote Isaiah 62 verse 6, but the whole chapter is so powerful, I would quote the whole thing.

For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

The LORD hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for the which thou hast labored:

But they that have gathered it shall eat it, and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness.

Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.

And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.

The verse which uses the Hebrew word Natsar is Jeremiah 31:6

For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God.

(refer to my blog on Watchmen for more on 'Natzar').

Now, I have kept my maiden name. I'm not a raving feminist (no offence intended), but I've never really wanted to relinquish my identity as the daughter of my father's house!  But twice I have been challenged on that score: once by a policeman who noticed a discrepancy in my insurance details (in my married name, because Mark organises it), and my licence (in my maiden name). I was told that I need to decide who I wanted to be.... and then a couple of weeks ago, another believer challenged me completely 'out of the blue' that the LORD wanted me to be Mrs. Tootill, not Ms. Mortemore-Tootill! I resisted. The feminist in me may have been tamed, but not quite submitted!

Well, perhaps I am after all sounding like a raving lunatic, but I'm feeling like this is another epiphany! If the LORD in his wisdom for my life sees me as a Lily of the Valley in the Plain of Sharon, and a Watchman on the Wall of Jerusalem, who am I to argue? Shoshana Tootill it is!

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Philippians 4 v 8-9