The Namesake

Many of you (I'm just going to assume that someone out there, besides my loving sister and devoted friend, is reading this, okay? :) have probably looked at the name of my blog and wondered why it's named after a rather unattractive stone. Well, it's not exactly after the stone and not exactly after the Rend Collective song, so what is it named after?

In biblical times, alabaster was used to preserve things of worth like perfume or jewelry, after being made into a jewelry box or bottle. Mary's perfume she used to anoint Jesus' feet was kept in an alabaster bottle. If you're not familiar with the story, Mary, a woman who followed Jesus (not his mother), poured out all of the perfume she had onto her savior's feet. This perfume was no Bath & Bodyworks people. This stuff was called nard.

Now I don't know about you, but I don't recall seeing a commercial or ad with a beautiful woman saying "Nard" in a Spanish accent or rolling around on the beach. (I know, perfume ads don't make any sense! But that's an other topic for an other day...) Well, allow me to educate you briefly on what this good smelling essential oil is. This bad boy comes from the Himalayas and is extracted from the plant known as the spikenard. Nard has earlier references in the old testament for the tabernacle and in Song of Solomon and was also used in ancient cuisine. Anyway, it's expensive.

Now that I have turned into the human Wikipedia, let's get back to the point.  Mary had, according to the scripture, a pound of this stuff, equivalent to a year's worth of work. What this must have meant to her, apart from it's sheer value, I have to imagine it had some kind of deeper bond with her. When I smell Twilight Woods I am brought back to the best summer I've ever had. And that's just super cheap perfume. I wonder what was going on in her heart before she walked into a room of men and knelt at Christ's feet. Nervousness? Bravery?

What about humility.

As I read through and explore the bible, this story sticks out as one of the most humbling. Mary, a woman who was supposed to be helping serve with her sister Martha, found herself sitting at the feet of God, listening. Then again, anointing. She went against what was customary to follow her God, to understand what He truly wanted for her life.

It was at the feet of God that she poured out the most expensive thing she could find to anoint Him. Usually, people are blessed on their head, but Mary went the extra mile to show that she did not deserve Christ's perfection. She blessed his feet. Then, as the oil began to run she mopped it up with her hair, yet again an other custom she broke, since her hair would have been covered during biblical times. She wanted to show her savior that He meant the absolute most to her. Custom didn't matter, money didn't matter, disapproval of those around didn't matter.

Only. He. Mattered.

I want to be like Mary. I want to give every single bit of what I have that can bless the Lord, no matter what. When judgment day comes, I want to be told "Well done, good and faithful servant". I don't want a single drop of my talent or kindness or encouragement or love to be left in me. But that's hard isn't it? That's exactly why I have to work at it every single day. I can only pray that He makes me strong enough that I can pour out myself. Wonderful things happen when we bless the Lord.

"I am broken at Your feet
Like an alabaster jar
Every piece of who I am
Laid before Your majesty

I will bow my life
At Your feet
At Your feet
My lips
So lost for words
Will kiss Your feet
Kiss Your feet

Oh the gravity of You
Draws my soul unto its knees
I will never be the same
I am lost and found in You"

There you have it. That's the namesake. I guess it really should have been named Nard...but Alabaster sounded a whole lot cooler, and it has an awesome jig by Rend Collective! Which happens to be my favorite Christian band.

Have an awesome day!