It's all in a name

Matthew 10:26
New King James Version (NKJV)
26 Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

I have been so extremely blessed recently as I have tried to embark on a career in speaking and writing my book. I still have so very far to go to make this a reality but a lot of awesome things have taken place since I rolled out my website that makes me believe my dreams can come true:) 

With that being said I want to share something that happened recently. Last week I was contacted by a reporter for the Wylie Newspaper, I was so honored that she was interested and wanted to write about my life , well GOD’S WORK IN MY LIFE, that is what it is truly about because I am still a mess with many issues and sin but through GOD’S grace and mercy I am clean from drugs and living in complete freedom, joyful most the time. I am so very thankful for that : )

As I began talking with the reporter she asked me about my name: Susan DeFace Washington. She had checked out my website and seen it spelt differently sometimes with a capital F and sometimes not. She said when she writes an article she usually mentions the whole name one time then refers to the person using their last name so she wanted to know if I wanted to include the name DeFace . At first I said “No”: I didn’t keep my maiden when got I married so I didn’t see the need . But within seconds I changed my mind. The name DeFace is so important to me and to my story, it is who I am.

This name DeFace has been the bane of my existence for as long as I can remember. In Jr. High the teasing was endless with barbs like “ Don’t Deface traffic signs “ etc. My father’s name was Richard but he went by Dick so his name was Dick DeFace, need I say more ? Now all the ribbing was done in fun but it was still the bane of my existence.

DeFace is also a very uncommon name. I have no blood relatives left other than my children and my sister’s children. There is no one: not a cousin, aunt, uncle, 2nd cousin , etc . To be honest there were never any aunts, uncles , cousins. It was always just us. I have never met anyone with the last name of DeFace other than me . 

With it being such a unique name it brought light to many situations in my life when I really didn’t want any light being shed on them. I remember once when I was in 9th grade my parents had gone to the lake and I was supposed to be staying with a friend but we decided to stay at my house alone. The next day I needed to get to my other friends house in Lakewood because my parents would be picking me up there. Van Pelt was not close to Lakewood so I decided to call a cab. I can’t remember how much money I had but my plan was to watch the meter and when it got to the amount I had have the driver stop and I would walk the rest of the way. ( I made to the spillway on Garland Road ) This was a great plan ( please note the dripping sarcasm in my tone :) , my criminal thinking was starting young believing I could pull off this act of deception and disrespect to my parents : ) 

Any way I called the cab company and gave my address and name to be picked up. The lady who worked for the cab company asked me my name again and I replied “ Susan DeFace” . She then asked me if I was Dick DeFace’s teenage daughter and I didn’t know what to say. I think I finally said yes because even then I knew there weren’t any other Susan DeFaces around. She dispatched the taxi and said she would be calling my father because she wasn’t too sure he would want me running around in cabs. I was busted !!!! If I had been Susan Johnson this wouldn’t have happened :)
Well as you know my life went on and after many tragic events and MANY POOR/DESTRUCTIVE CHOICES on my part I was indicted on drug charges, deservedly so. It was in May of 2001 that I got indicted, I had been married since 1986 and had not used the DeFace name since then but for some reason when the Dallas Morning News ran the article “Teacher indicted on drug charges: Meth Lab Found in Home “ they referred to me as Susan DeFace Washington. There was no hiding anymore , God was going to expose everything . At the time I was disgraced and humiliated but it made me face the truth. I had to. I knew that anyone who read that article that had ever known me would know it was me. They might not know I had married and my last name was Washington but the DeFace was distinctive to me, there aren’t any others. My life was exposed and I couldn’t hide any longer.

So I told the Wylie reporter I am Susan DeFace Washington so please refer to me as DeFace Washington. She asked if I wanted it hyphenated and I can’t remember what I said because the hyphen doesn’t matter. The name does. DeFace is my name and I am proud of it. At one time when you looked at my family the first thought that came to mind was the tragedies, addictions, suicides, felonies, prison, etc. but now I hope when the name DeFace is heard or read you will think of God’s Amazing Grace, Victory, and the Freedom from the chains that bind that come when you surrender your life to Jesus Christ. That is my hope. I am Susan DeFace Washington and there is no more shame. Praise the Lord for his Redemption and Restoration.

Comments

[Lisa Smith]

Susan, that article is awesome. She did a wonderful job but of course she had a wonderful subject to write about. I am so in awe of you and all that you are doing to show His love to everyone. I am so blessed to know you.