When Somebody Knows Your Name

I have a confession to make. When I was a child at my grandmother's house I wrote my name on the walls in all the closets, I painted my name on the roof tiles, in fact I hid my name all over that house. Why? Because I felt like I was invisible and I believed there was a relationship between my name and my value.

I was a middle child. Or at least I think I was a middle child. I was behind Nick and Fred and in front of Racie, Tom, Rosie, Mary, Cessna and Tricia. We were all born within ten years and maybe that is why I felt invisible. I was so accustomed to being called by the wrong name that I didn't bother with correcting the person speaking. If you were looking at me I figured you were talking to me.

As a child I didn't expect people to remember which one I was. I think this might be why I was I was so touched by the verse,"Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine."(Isaiah 43:1) Sometimes as I child I would begin my prayer time by imagining what it would be like to hear God calling me by my name. Then my prayer would be in response to hearing Him.

One of my favorite stories when I was growing up was of God calling Samuel in the night. I could just imagine Samuel hearing his name being call and waking up and running to see what Eli wanted. It took three times before Eli realized that it was God who was calling him and he told Samuel that the next time he heard his name being called he was to respond, "Speak Lord for Your servant is listening." There have even been times when I have heard my name being called very early in the morning and I could hardly wait to get up and open His word and see what He had to say!

Oh Lord You know my name! "When I consider the heavens, the work of your figures, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?"(Psalms 8:4,5) And yet Lord, I believe that you have called me by my name and I am your.