What's in a name?

When we live unseen, we can feel uncared for and unsupported. Read on to find out how untrue that is.

Do not fear for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name and you are mine. Isaiah 40:31

We all have different names that we go by. i have been Susan, Susannah, SusieQ, Mrs. McCabe, Miss Mac,(by students who could not pronounce my last name) Honey and Mama. How many of you look up when a child calls "Mama", even though you know your own sons are grown and now have bass voices? I have also been referred to related to others in my life. I was Marshall's daughter, Brother and Sister Carver's granddaughter, and Stella Marie's little girl. I spent years as Sheryl's sister and was unduly excited when she told me that she had been referred to as Susan's sister. Then I was Joe's wife and Rob and Heath's mom. I have also ben referred to as what I do. People at church see me as on of the singers and at work, a resident asked me, "Aren't you the social lady?" I laughed and said yes, I was the social worker.

What a joy it is to hear your named called in a crowded room by someone who loves you. How about getting off a plane and scanning the crowd for a familiar face, then hearing someone call your name excitedly. There is a since of accomplishment in hearing your name read in front of crowds as you walk across the stage to get a diploma or an award.

There is an even greater honor and privilege, though. the God of the universe, who put the stars in place, knows your name.(Isaiah 40:31) He knows the number of hairs on your head.(John 10:22) He has chosen to be your father and set you apart before you were born. (Jeremiah 1:10) More important than being Marshall's daughter or Stella Marie's little girl is the privilege of being a child of the king, a daughter of God. When this life is hard, remember that someday we will hear him call our names. Let us pray that he says to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant. enter into the joy of your master.

Go first

Children do not have to be taught to go first, but somewhere we learn to hold ourselves back even when we shouldn't. Perhaps that is especially true for those of us who live Unseen. Read on.

Go First
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1John 4;10 -11

When the children were young, we were over at a friend’s house visiting. Her son was  between mine in age and they enjoyed being together. Usually. He and my older son were best friends, except when they were being mortal enemies. On this particular day, it got quiet, which is a red flag with 3 preteens. I went looking for them and found the two older boys on the balcony with a length of rope. My husband was right behind me and asked what they were doing. “We’re going to rappel off the balcony.” Eyes full of challenge, he looked at my husband and asked, “IS that OK?” My husband took in the situation and said, “Ok, but the knot is wrong on your rope, you need to hold it behind your back and the railing is not going to hold. He looked at my son and said, “You go first, Rob.” It’s not just scary thing we don’t want to go first at. Dr. Dobson told about a group of women who all really wanted donuts but refused to be the first on to get in line for them. In our lives whether it is something scary or just something uncomfortable, we would rather someone else make the first move. Even if we know there will be a blessing, like mending a broken relationship, it is hard to go first. Once, God was prompting me to do my part in making up with my dad and I was arguing that i didn't have to because he had done, this and that and he always had to be right. I turned the corner and saw,(I'm not kidding) a billboard that said, GET THE LAST WORD IN. APOLOGIZE.I wrote the letter and the restoration started.

God did not wait. He went first. Romans 5:8 says that God demonstrated his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. In John 15:16 Jesus says, You did not choose me, but i chose you. God, knowing we were broken and helpless made the first step and what a step it was! He had already planned our salvation and how he would accomplish it, One of the verses that has meant the most to me is in John 4:10-11 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. and verse 19 says We love Him because He first loved us.
Because God went first we both love him and are enabled to love each other. Take courage to step out. meet someone  new. Invite someone  to church. Be a blessing or mend a fence. Go first.