A Devotional: The Names We Carry, the God Who Calls Us His Own

Written by  Bruce Mitchell The Names We Carry

There’s a quiet truth woven through The Names We Carry: God has been speaking identity over us long before we understood who we were becoming. This devotional is a journey through the names spoken over my life — from birth to adoption to fatherhood — and how each one became a doorway into grace. If you’ve ever wondered whether your name, your story, or your identity matters to God, this reflection is for you.

I’ve been sitting here tonight, letting the years stretch out behind me like a long, uneven road — the kind you only understand when you stop walking and finally turn around. And as I look back, I realize something I never saw clearly before:
My life has been told in names. The Names We Carry

Names spoken over me.
Names spoken to me.
Names spoken about me.
Names I grew into.
Names I outgrew.
Names I didn’t choose.
Names God used anyway.

I was born Bruce Edward Avery.
That was the name of my beginning — the name of a boy trying to make sense of a world that didn’t always make sense back to him. It was the name of strength (Bruce), protection (Edward), and wisdom (Avery), even before I knew what any of those words meant.

Then, at fourteen, everything changed.
I was adopted, and my name became Edward Bruce Mitchell.
A new name.
A new identity.
A new chapter I didn’t fully understand at the time.

Two names.
Two stories.
One life held by one faithful God.

And as I sit here now, sixty‑three years in, I see it clearly:
God has been naming me all along.

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The Bible is full of people renamed by God — not because He needed clarity, but because they needed identity.

Jacob to Israel — the struggler, renamed by grace

Jacob wrestled his way through life. But in the dark, by the river, God touched him and said,
“Your name will no longer be Jacob… from now on you will be called Israel.” (Genesis 32:28, NLT)

God didn’t rename him because Jacob changed.
God renamed him so Jacob could change.

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Abram to Abraham — the father of none, renamed the father of many

God spoke a promise into a man who had no evidence of it.
He named Abraham into a future only God could see.

Sometimes God names us ahead of our reality.

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Sarai to Sarah — the barren one renamed with laughter

Her new name carried joy she hadn’t tasted yet.
God often names us into joy before we feel it.

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Simon to Peter — the unstable one turned into a rock

Simon was impulsive, emotional, and unpredictable.
But Jesus looked at him and saw the man he would become.
“You are Peter…” (Matthew 16:18, NLT)

Jesus names the future into us.

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Saul to Paul — the powerful one made small so grace could be big

Saul lived for status.
Paul lived for surrender.
One name was about achievement.
The other was about grace.

Sometimes God renames us not to elevate us, but to free us.

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And then… there’s me. Bruce.

When I look at my two names, I see two chapters of one redemption story.

Bruce Edward Avery

The name of my beginning.
The name of a boy learning to survive.
The names of strength (Bruce), protection (Edward), and wisdom (Avery).

Edward Bruce Mitchell

The name was given at fourteen.
The name of a guardian (Edward), a steady one (Bruce), and a man who points upward (Mitchell — “Who is like God?”).

Two names, but one identity:
A man held, shaped, and renamed by God’s grace.

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And then I became a father — and the story of names deepened. The Names We Carry

When my children were born, I had two names ready:

• Reagan Faith Mitchell — the girl’s name
• Avery Christian Mitchell — the boy’s name

So when my firstborn arrived, and she was a girl, her name fit perfectly.

But when my second child was on the way, I fully expected a son.
I had the name ready.
I had the meaning ready.
I had the story ready.

But she was a girl.

And because I believed — and still believe — that names matter, I couldn’t just choose something that sounded nice. I couldn’t embrace the names my wife suggested. So I went home, sat down with a baby name book, and did something sacred and straightforward:

I looked only at the meanings.
Page by page.
Name by name.
Line by line.

And then I saw it.

“Worthy of Love.”

And something in me broke open.
Something tender.
Something honest.

I said, “Thank You, Lord.”
Because even though I had wanted a son, God had given me a daughter —
And she was still worthy of my love.

So she was named:

Amanda Grace Mitchell

• Amanda — “Worthy of Love”
• Grace — “Unmerited favor, God’s kindness poured out.”

Her name became a sermon I didn’t know I needed to preach to myself.

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The Full Meanings of Their Names

Reagan Faith Mitchell

Reagan — “Little ruler,” “noble,” “kingly.”
A name that carries dignity, strength, and a quiet authority — not dominance, but presence.

Faith — “Trust, belief, confidence in God.”
A name that anchors her identity not in performance, but in trust.

Mitchell — “Who is like God?” (derived from Michael)
A name that points upward, reminding her that true strength and true nobility come from the One who is above every name.

Full meaning:
“A noble daughter who walks in trust, pointing others to the God who is above all.”

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Avery Christian Mitchell (the son you expected, the name you held in your heart)

Avery — “Wise counselor,” “spiritual insight.”
A name that speaks of discernment, clarity, and the ability to guide others with grace.

Christian — “Follower of Christ”
A name rooted in discipleship, humility, and devotion.

Mitchell — “Who is like God?”
A name that lifts the eyes toward heaven, reminding the bearer that wisdom begins with reverence.

Full meaning:
“A Christ‑following counselor whose wisdom points others toward the greatness of God.”

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Amanda Grace Mitchell

Amanda — “Worthy of Love”
A name that carries belovedness, dignity, and the truth that worth is given, not earned.

Grace — “Unmerited favor, God’s kindness poured out.”
A name that speaks of mercy, tenderness, and the gentle way God meets us in our humanity.

Mitchell — “Who is like God?”
A name that declares the incomparable love of the Father — the One who names us His own.

Full meaning:
“A beloved daughter covered in grace, whose very life points to the God whose love is beyond compare.”

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Names shape us, but God shapes our names. The Names We Carry

Looking back, I see it now:

• My birth name carried the seeds of who I would become.
• My adopted name carried the calling I would grow into.
• My children’s names carried the lessons God wanted to teach me.

And through it all, God has been whispering His own name over my life:

Beloved.
Chosen.
Redeemed.
Mine.

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Practical grace for today The Names We Carry

Here’s what I’m learning as I sit with these names:

• God has been speaking identity over you longer than you’ve been alive.
• Your story is not defined by the name you started with.
• Your future is not limited by the name others gave you.
• God renames us through grace, not performance.
• Every name you’ve carried has been a chapter in His redemption.
• And every name you’ve spoken over your children has been a prayer.

Let’s not rush past that.
Let’s sit with it.
Let’s let the Spirit whisper the name He calls us in the quiet places.

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A moment of reflection The Names We Carry

What name have you been living under?
What name have you been hiding behind?
What name is God trying to speak into your weary heart today?

Pause.
Breathe.
Listen.

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Heartbeat sentence

The names we carry tell our story, but the God who names us tells our destiny.

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May you go in peace, knowing you are deeply loved, called to love, and never alone. Amen.

 

With all my heart,
Your Friend, Bruce Mitchell

 

If you’ve read this far, thank you.
My heart in every word is to reflect the love and grace of Christ—not just in theology,
but in relationship. I write not to impress, but to embrace.
Now, if this devotional stirred something in you, I’d love to hear your story.
What name has shaped your life?
What name is God whispering over you today?
Share in the comments, send a message, or journal your own “names story.”
Your testimony may be the encouragement someone else needs.

I pray that something here has reminded you: you are not alone, and you are deeply loved.

Grace. Always grace.

With love, prayer, and expectancy,

Bruce Mitchell
A voice of love & grace—always grace
Bruce@allelon.us
allelon.us

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love conceals a multitude of sins.” —1 Peter 4:8

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