It was the exchange of peace during our church service, a time to pretty much say hi to the people around you. We always sat near the same people, in our unspoken assigned seats. I reached my hand out to a very familiar face I’d met before, one I saw on a weekly basis. He reached for mine, too, but with his other hand he quickly covered his nametag and put me to the test. “What’s my name?” My heart hit my toes. My friendly smile and kind gestures lost their impact as I searched for his name and blurted out the wrong one. I wanted to sink into my seat. My face was hot and I was red with embarrassment. He had really hoped I’d remember. It taught me to be ever more aware.
Hearing our name is sweet to our ears. We all want to be known. I’m working on remembering names, but God knows us by name already. And what’s more? “He knows the number of hairs on our heads.” (Luke 12:7)
Go ahead, cover up your nametag. We are known fully by Him and never forgotten.
“Do not be afraid, I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
Lord, we want to be noticed, we want to be known. People forget us, brush us off and hurt us. You see us, know us and love us.
You count us far more valuable than we can begin to fathom.
You don’t desire to cover Yourself up but to show us who You are and for us to hear Your loving call.
If You had a nametag, it would say, “Welcome, I am open.”
Help our hearts to say, “Welcome, we are open.”
To receive these truths that change everything. Amen.
