He Knows Your Name

For the longest time my husband and I have referred to one another as 'Hun' and 'Dear'. It's a funny thing. It's almost as though through marriage new names were given each of us. No matter the context, these names fit. Hun, can you pick up bread? Dear, can you make sure the kids' finish their homework before practice tonight? Dear, we need clean laundry. Dear, the baby's crying. Dear, I'm hungry. (I digress...)

They became common place.

On rare occasions, extremely rare, one of us will use the actual birth name given the other. The occasions tend to be important, specific and at times, emotional. Moments where attention is required and truth is discussed. Moments where we are drawn together to communicate, share and carry one another's burdens.

I tell you this because it happened the other night. We were having an off day. No real background involved. No fight. No tension. Just something not quite right. Before bed I heard it. Chelle'. Not Dear. Chelle'. I stopped in my tracks as I usually do. My heart waited.

And then it hit me. It's no surprise my heart responds in that way when Paul calls me by name. My heart has been conditioned to do just that. You see, for the past 20 years or so, everytime the Lord called me by name- my heart waited. Now- I don't want to give the appearance that I am so in tune with the Lord that all He has to do is speak and there I am ready to move. Sadly, this is not the case. Just as in my marriage, it seems God has other names by which I am called. Child, daughter, bride... to name a few.

I would like to say that I pay full attention no matter how he refers to me, the reality however, is that I get lost in the common place of it all at times. I read the words in the Bible as though I've read them thousands of times before. I pray the prayers that have been said day after day. Monotony overtakes me.

But when He calls me by my name... My heart waits. Think of the many times He called His children by name...

In Exodus 3 God called Moses from the burning bush...

In Luke 19, Jesus called Zacheus down from the tree and told him He was going to his house...

In John 11 Jesus called Lazarus back from the dead. (Wouldn't that be a great way to hear your name?)

And how about Samuel called by the Lord out of sleep in I Samuel 3...

No doubt the hearts of these men (in Samuel's case- boy) waited. Their responses? Here I am.

And so today... Here I am Lord. Whatever you're doing. Wherever you're at work. And in whatever capacity I can be used to further your glory... Here I am. My heart waits!!