What you name a child is important.What you call a child will have an influence on them.What you label a child can have the greatest impact on their identity.I wasnamed Gabriella Francesca Spinelli - after my Italian grandfather Gabriel Francisco.My family called me Gaby. And not the Gaby that everyone is used to saying with the short a sound. You know, like when you're getting your throat checked, where you stick your tongue out a little, "Aaaaaaaaaaaa." Gaaaaaaaby. I bet most of you just put your tongue out, to try it. HAHAHAHA.They called me GOBY ... like Goblin, ya know? So at school they made the short a sound and at home they’d make the o sound. And that’s how it went for most of my life. At school I was called a different name and at school I was also labeled positive words like smart, funny, and a leader.But at home I was labeleda little differently.I was labeled prideful, “too much”, lazy, vague, and confusing. I was told to shut up a lot. I was told that I thought I knew it all. I grew up in a home with some hardships. My biological dad wasn’t in my life. My stepdad was an alcoholic which caused us to experience homelessness during my early years. In my teenage years, my mom became a single mom working multiple jobs to take care of us.  At 15, I started working to help with rent and bills.Being labeled those things was very painful for me, I felt like I was trying to help my broken family but it was often met with an assumption of wrong motive.In my childhood home there was history of unfaithfulness and divorce, the presence of emotional and physical abuse. For a home like that, I thought I was doing pretty well. God had given me so much mercy and grace to stay faithful to Him so I thought I was a “good kid”, but I didn't have anyone in my family really telling me that.These hurtful labels went on through high school and early into college, and I struggled with my identity. I always loved Jesus but in those years between 18-21 I started searching for value and acceptance in guys who I wanted to label me differently. I was searching for someone, anyone, to see who I really was.

In 2000 at SDSU a friend named Julia Johnson (

now known as Julia Pearson)

 invited me to City Church. Immediately I fell in love with the atmosphere and the people. I became an intern shortly after. Even though I was growing in my relationship with Jesus again, I was still hurting so deeply.

One night I was in my car crying out to God.

I was feeling so much pain from being misunderstood, mistreated, and mislabeled.

God asked me to look up in the sky .... 

and I saw my initials written in the clouds.

I know it sounds crazy, but it happened.

G. F. S.

I said, “Yes, God those are my initials Gabriella Francesca Spinelli." He said, "No, they stand for: Good. Faithful. Servant."I cried my EYES (dramatic long pause) OUT!!I then remembered this verse: 

His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord'’ (Matthew 25:16-23).

He told me that night that He had named me those initials for a reason. He told me that He was proud of me for being faithful to Him even through all my pain.

That night I was re-labeled.

He was putting into me a new identity : To be a good and faithful servant to Him -  no matter the circumstance around me. Faithfulness was not a characteristic that should've been inside me because I didn’t have it modeled to me. But by His grace and by His mercy he had imbedded into my name -  the call to be a faithful person. He said that I would love what was good. He said that He would make me a faithful friend, wife, and daughter. He said that I was called to be a servant. And that’s who I’ve promised to Him that I would be since that night 27 years ago.I also want to remind you of this verse…

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5)

Do you know that even before you were conceived in your mother’s womb, you were known by God? He saw your life, your days, and the kind of person you would be.Take to heart that no matter what labels have been put on you by family, friends, ex-boyfriend, or even by a spouse - God has already labeled you. You can be FAITHFUL to Him. You can be confident in His love, acceptance, and identity. I wonder what labels you might be believing about yourself that are not true? What label does God have for you that you can purpose in your heart to be faithful to? I’d love to hear your story of how God has been faithful to you and turned a negative label around in your life.

xoxo,

Gaby Abbott

Our Fame Pastors have been walking us through the power of the fruits of the Spirit this Spring. Here’s the link to the first post if you’d like to catch-up now. Plus we’d love to hear from you, believe with you, and pray with you – comment below.