"Mom, did you name me Micah? Why? Did my first mom (his name for his birth mom) call me that? What was her name? Where is she? I miss my nannies. I bet they love me."
Sigh. I can only answer maybe two of his questions at any given point. Firstly, because I can't get a word in edge-wise. Secondly, I'm not always intelligent enough. There. I said it. Yes, we named you Micah. We named you after Micah in the Bible. No, your first mom didn't call you that. I don't know your first mom's name and I'm not sure where she is. And yes, your sweet nannies love you to the moon and back. Then, we're usually off to other topics like that Rio 2 comes out in theaters on April 11. Little bit of information for you moms of kids...yes, Rio 2.
I've always been a firm believer that names carry lots of weight. As in a good way. They allow you to be unique, to be noticed, to make first impressions and to be memorable. Naming my kids was a venture I didn't take lightly. I'd write every combination of names we liked in every order and with unique spellings, without prophetically putting my kid in therapy because we named him/her some weird name like Moonbeam. But it was serious business. This naming kids job. You pretty make or break their kindergarten year. Will someone mock them? Is it too long to fit on the tiny space on their papers? Did you forget to check for inappropriate initial acronyms? Will there be personalized pencils and little license plates for their bikes? By now, no one can doubt that I have some issues.
Allow me to share one of my favorite verses with you. "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead
end." Isaiah 43:1-3
I don't know about you, but whew! What a relief that Jesus knows my name. Not only that, it's unique and special. He's gracious enough to never leave me hanging. Never. And I've been in over my head hundreds of times. Sometimes, because I made bad decisions. Other times, from grief and despair. Dead ends aren't even in His vocabulary. I'm not sure I will ever grasp what it truly means to be known by name by my creator. When others don't remember you, He will. When you feel completely boxed in, He'll grab your hand and lift you out.
At the very least, I must offer the same to Him. The only name that truly matters is His. Just Jesus.
