"What’s In a Name?”

Names can be important.

For centuries, names for babies have been chosen because of the underlying meanings behind them; strength, beauty, honor….and other important values. Or babies have been named after loved ones as a show of honor.

The names of some companies or brands have deeper meanings as well. For instance, “NIKE” is named after the Greek goddess of victory, an appropriate symbol for a company that manufactures athletic shoes and gear. The name LEGO combines the two Danish words “LEg” and “GOdt” to mean “play well.”

For whatever reason, this resonates with me. The idea that names mean something, that they’re not just random but that there is a purpose behind them. Personally, I was named after a beloved preacher that my dad served with…..Paul Bennett (my middle name is Paul). My father and Paul preached together, launched Bible Institutes together, and the Bennett family became dear to the Welch family, long before I was even born. But Paul died tragically in a small plane crash, on his way to Grundy, Virginia to raise money for a new church plant. Four years later, when I was born, my parents chose my middle name to honor this dear friend.

My own son carries the name of my father. When he was born, it felt important to me that someone represented the name of the greatest man I have ever known…..my dad.

Well, just the other day, my sister asked me why I named my counseling practice, “Forge & Path.”  She read the name……saw the logo…….but the underlying meaning was not clear to her, much to my chagrin. 😊

But, honestly, I’m glad she asked because now I get to write about this important message that has also become integrally connected to my life and service.

Let’s start with the word, “Forge.” The definition goes something like this, “a furnace or workshop where metal is heated and shaped.”  (credit to Google)

If you look at my brand logo, the most prominent figure is the large forge hammer right at the center. It’s because this idea of being shaped or refined through fire ties strongly to my view of transformation and growth……to my approach of being a counselor. And, more personally, to my own story. It is through the “fires” of life that we have the greatest opportunity to grow…..to change…….to become more of the person we are meant to be. As I ponder this, I think about how they go about purifying precious metals like silver. They put the silver into a cauldron, heat it up over a fire, and as it heats us all the impurities come to the surface (the dross). And as that happens, they scrape off the dross and what is left is a much purer version of silver.

Ahhhhh……..I just love this imagery because it taps deeply into my view of how people become purer versions of themselves. Life puts us into the “fire.”  When times get hard, things begin to “heat up.”  And when that happens our impurities start coming to the surface, our wounds, our insecurities, the blind spots, and immature places in our hearts. And, if we let Him, this is where God begins working in those places, scraping away the shame, false beliefs, unhealthy patterns, and defenses that have accumulated over the years so that something stronger and truer can emerge.

As a counselor, I get the privilege of being a part of this “forging” process, and it is holy ground………a sacred space on the anvil, where clients are pounded and hammered by life, but also begin to be molded and shaped into better versions of themselves. This is truly sacred ground, and so the word “Forge,” for me, represents the hallowed difficulty of the process.

To me, we can all relate to being in the “forge.” We’ve all struggled. We’ve all felt the banging away at our hearts and lives through betrayal, hardship, struggles, and pain. We know what it feels like to hurt…and deeply. But most I have talked to will also admit that it was in those seasons that they grew the most; that they are better people because of the fire. I, myself, have been in the forge and have come out better for it.

And so, the “Forge” in “Forge & Path” deeply connects to my view of how transformation happens at its best…….embracing the fire, enduring the hammer, and allowing God to shape us into who He wants us to be. As a counselor, I’m humbled to simply be a part of that in some way.

As for the word “Path,” it simply connects to my belief in life being a journey…..and that our stories are constantly being written as we walk the “path” of life. I guess the symbolism here may be more obvious than the forge, but it is no less important to the name.

So many times, we can admit that our lives are stories being written, but we lost sight of how stuck we can get in a particular chapter. We forget that the story isn’t finished yet….that there are future chapters to be written. And so, we lose hope….we begin to despair…..anxiety engulfs us. And so “Forge & PATH” is meant to be a reminder that we’re still on the journey. It’s not over yet. There are still new characters to meet, new adventures to live, and the story arc has not been completed.

If you look carefully at the Forge & Path logo, you can see that the path goes all the way to the horizon. This is intentional……because our journeys are not short sprints but are truly marathons that take us all the way out. As Buzz Lightyear might say, “To infinity and beyond!”

Again, this connects to how I view myself as a counselor.

You see……for as long as a person lets me, I get to walk their journey with them. Personally, I don’t see myself as an expert that gets to tell them what to do, but as a companion on the journey, a fellow sojourner who gets to walk alongside them and offers them insight, encouragement, and support.

Forgive me for getting into the dramatic here, but I view my role as a counselor in a way that is much like Samwise Gamgee from “The Lord of the Rings.”  I am not the ring-bearer or the warrior Aragon……but I can be the loyal companion; the one who offers strength to those who lack it, who goes into the dark places with them, who will walk the road to Mordor at their side.

I know…..I know…….that seems a bit much. I felt a little embarrassed as I typed it, but I must keep it in this blog because it’s my honest conviction. If life is a path, and my clients are in the forge…….then I believe I am called to walk with them, even when it gets hard, or when they get angry or fearful, or when there is not a clear sign of which way to go. Even if I, myself, don’t have all the answers or know the way, I must still walk with them.

That’s simply how I see it.

And so……big sister……..this blog is for you. A little glimpse into my heart. A peep into my view of why counseling is important and how I feel called to approach it.

I admit….it’s not how every counselor views things. It’s not the approach they might take. And that’s cool……counselors are like shoes……there are many good ones, but you must find the right fit.

But this is why I called this practice Forge & Path.

Because sometimes life puts us in the fire. It hammers us, wounds us, exposes things in us we would rather not see, and leaves us wondering whether we will ever be the same again.

And maybe we won't.

Maybe, by the grace of God, we can become something more.

And then there is the path. Sometimes it is clear and beautiful. Other times it disappears into places we would never have chosen to go. But the path keeps stretching toward the horizon because our story isn't finished yet. There is still more road ahead.

I can't promise anyone who walks into my counseling room that I know exactly where their path will lead. I can't take away every fire or carry every burden for them.

But I can step into the forge with them.

I can walk beside them on the path.

And maybe that is the best explanation I can give you, big sister.

Life will put us in the forge. The path may be long and hard and dark. But your story is still being told.

And I will walk it with you.

That's Forge & Path.