Your Name

I love to hear people call me by name.

When a person knows your name, in essence they know you. A name tells a lot about a person. It can depict a strong national heritage or reflect on past loved ones. Its a very sweet sound to hear your own name.
Being here at Southern I have learned the effect that knowing somones name can have on them. It can be pretty embarrasing to be joyfully greeted in the hall way or on the prominade by someone but you just can't seem to remember their name. You may make up some generic term for them such as "hi friend" or simply move on to "how are you doing?" trying to avoid the fact that you have no idea or recollection of what their name is. It's just as hard to be on the recieving end of this dead end "oh shoot! I can't remember their name" look from someone else. We want people to know us, for them to remember us. Carrie Unerwood sings a song entitled "Don't forget to Remember Me." Everyone wants to be remembered by their name.
Ever since I can remember my maman has gotten my uncles and my brothers name mixed up constantly. She's not the only one. Numerous people in my family will call my uncle - Eric or my brother - Remy and we've all just gotten use to it. We'll correct them and give a little chuckle. Friends will do it to. Call you by someone elses name or just plain have a mind blank and forget yours altogether. It happens to everyone at some point.

But Jesus will NEVER forget your name. He has it written on the palms of His hands. In the scars.
It's written in his books.
John tells us in John 10:3 "The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep BY NAME and leads them out." How sweet is it to hear Jesus call your name.


So next time you hear someone call you by name think of Christ, He's calling you by name, go to Him. But now thus says the Isaiah 43:1 Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.