Why "Crowned with Victory?"

I love how in the Bible, names actually have meaning and reason behind them.  For instance, there are several names for God himself indicated in Scripture.  He is El Shaddai (God Almighty), Yahweh (He is), Adonai (All Majesty), Emmanuel (God with us), or simply Abba (Daddy).  Characters in the Bible also were named specific names, for example Daniel means "God is my judge" and Matthew means "Gift of God." 

I have always known the reason my mother named me Laurie.  She chose that name from Little Women, the March family's friend was Laurie.  She liked the name and chose to name me thus.  I have always liked my name, and eventually it not only named me, but became an important part of my identity. 

After my mother died two years ago, I suffered through a time of intense insecurity that was hard to pinpoint.  I just thought it was grief but eventually I came to realize that it was a feeling of loss that went deeper than the hurt of missing my mom.  When I lost Mommy, I lost the one person on earth that would love me unconditionally, no matter what.  And yet, that isn't true.  I have a Savior who loves me more than she ever did.  I know that in my heart and struggled to feel it in my walk.  After she died, I felt like a useless wanderer of the Earth, loving with intensity but feeling unloved in return.   I also knew in my heart that it isn't true, but I felt that way all the same. 

God showed me the meaning of my name at this time.  There was a Sunday School lesson that detailed some meanings of names, and at first I wasn't so interested.  I knew that Laurie was a masculine name for Laurel, and the name Laurel meant "crowned with laurel leaves" -  yeah, that is pretty dull.  But what is a crown of laurel leaves?  Well in ancient Rome, it was worn in triumph after winning a battle.  In Greece, the laurel crown was given to winners in athletic competitions.  Scholars received laurel crowns upon graduation, hence the term "baccalaureate"

In other words, Laurie, derived from Laurel, means "crowned with victory."  What an amazing meaning behind my name!  It was an uplifting moment at that point in my life, feeling as I did about who I was in the world.  God showed me in perfect timing that I was not just Laurie, whom nobody cares about other than her children, but Laurie, Crowned with Victory, that is, loved by Jesus Christ, and crowned with HIS victory on the cross.  There is no greater love than a man who lays down his life for his friends (John 15:13) - Jesus did that for me, and for all creation.  I am loved, and Crowned with Victory.