I Have a Name! I Have a Name!

Prior to the birth of my first grandchild I spent a lot of time worrying about names. Not hers, mind you. I knew her Mom and Dad had that privilege and if I had listened to my relatives Jill's name would have been Basheba Jeanne, REALLY!

But no, I was worried about what this precious child would call me.There are so many options. Joe, my husband had no worries. He had been "Papa Joe Mowdy" since the day we were married. No, really, that day! His first grandchild came a bit early and was born in the wee hours of the morning of the day of our wedding.

But this would be the first child to call me a grandparent name. My first choice would have been MiMi; cute and not too redneck. (truly a hazard around these parts.) But MiMi is taken by my favorite aunt so I hated to have two MiMi's running around. I was avoiding horrendous names like MawMaw or worse yet, Maw, or Mammy. These names struck fear and dread in my heart. Some of you are thinking, I was making much ado of nothing but if you aren't careful you can pick a perfectly sweet name like "MaMaw" and the next thing you know some super cute kid morphs it into MaMoo and you have a bovine-esqe name which is fine for my tiny Mother in law but I lean too close to largeness for a name that ever have "moo" as a component. That happened!

After much consideration we settled on Grammie. It's not too "granny" sounding and has a cutsie ring to it. It was no MiMi but I was content! Quickly the process began of indoctrinating Sassafras. I said my name as often as I could. I developed the habit of referring to myself in third person every chance I got. Of course Daddy came first. and Then a brief Mama but she was often called "Daddy" as well. (We think she did that to annoy Jill) And then of course her favorite name, EVER <insert sarcastic tone here> Papa, which she says a lot like "Paba."AND THEN IT HAPPENED!!! "GeeGee" with a hard "g" sound that is morphing into GiGi. I have a name! She gave me a name! I love it! It is like music and hearts and flowers all at the same time. And she says it, she sings it, she coos it...I am over the moon.

Having someone we love know our name is important. We want to be noticed, recognized. Names are important. It says, "Hey, I am important enough to you that you call me by name." 

There is a clergy person in out Conference that is a note writer. He wrote notes of encouragement to those of us going through the ordination process at different stages as well as birthdays and such. His notes mean so much to me. The handwritten, brief sentiment says to me, "you matter, I know you, I will remember you." What an affirming feeling. He inspired me to become a note writer. I write notes to those that visit our church. The notes are brief and don't really say much, but I hope that those that receive them know that, to me, it mattered that they chose our church family to hang out with on that Sunday!

Notes I will be writing today to guests

I work very hard to learn people's names and unless I get it wrong from the beginning,  I am pretty ok. People matter! People count. So I want them to know that they do. I know everyone that is part of our church family by name. Thank goodness we are not a mega-church (yet). Rev. Udell Wolf, an ordained elder in the Oklahoma Conference of the United Methodist Church told me that he says each person's name as they come to receive Holy Eucharist. If he came across one or two he didn't know he would strive to learn it before the next week and greet them as soon as he could. I have adopted this practice. As quickly as our church family has grown, I am glad I started day one!

Names and recognition are important. Important enough for God to tell us so through his prophet, Isaiah.

"But now, thus says the Lord,

who created you, Jacob, and formed you, Israel:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine!" Isaiah 43:1

There is power in calling someone by name. There is love and outreach in recognition. Hearing my name out of that sassy little girl's mouth, even if it is formed with an ornery grin, it melts my heart because what I hear is, "you are mine!" God told Isaiah to tell the people they were precious and honored. He said to tell them, "I love you!" That is what is in the saying of a name; love.

Who will you call by name today?