“I love the rare moments when I am permitted to offer my name to someone … to be given a name is an act of intimacy as powerful as any act of love.”
Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water
We named our first girl before we realized there were two. I had her name picked months before there were any babies at all. Her name is delicate and lady-like and lovely. But the day we found out I was carrying two girls, the pressure to pick a second name was heavy. I couldn’t bear the thought of my girls within me, limbs pressing in on me and one another, one with a name and the other without.
And so as we left the hospital, shiny black and white ultrasound photos clutched in my swollen hand, The Man and I chose a name as we sat at a stoplight on Green Valley Road. We knew right away the name was a fit and I felt deeply satisfied that both our girls now had our love in the form of two beautiful names. It was powerful to name them before we met them, to have them come into this messy world with a sense of belonging. This is your name, little one. You will carry this with you from this moment until forever. This name is a piece of you.
Before I went to the Philippines, there were imaginary people I knew I would meet. But now that I’ve been, there is Rose Ann, Aj, Maan, Emily, Lola. People, women, children – seen and known intimately by God. Jesus calmed Martha by saying her name twice. He changed Simon’s name to Peter, the rock. He added the ‘h’ to Abram, literally putting Yahweh into Abraham. He changed Sarai to Sarah as part of his covenant. His attention is turned, not toward politics or policy, but toward names.
Names mean things, carry weight and importance and intimacy. To know their name is to know something of them. The world is not a nameless, faceless green and blue mass of land and water. The world is made of people, rich with story, full of intrigue, longing for passion, and love and adventure. And so changing the world means influencing people – beautiful, messy, fearful, fascinating, talented, lonely people. And it begins with knowing their name.
Hey there!
I don’t know if you have ever heard this Israel Houghton song before, but in case you haven’t it is a fun and precious one, related to God knowing our name. It came to my mind while I was reading your post today, so I thought I would share. Hope it is encouraging. Enjoy!
You’re right, Emily! Knowing a name is the base of a relationship and a relationship is key to making a difference. Your words have got me thinking about my neighbors and others I come in contact with on a regular basis – I don’t even know their names. Hmmm…I think I should do something about that.
I’m horrible at remembering names. I realize how insensitive this makes me seem when running into someone I’ve just met and not being able to recall their name. I finally discovered if I repeat the name back to the person and then say it again in conversation that I will remember it next time. You’ve made me realize how important it really is to know someone by name.
So true. I love this post. I just volunteered in my kindergartener’s class this morning. I was amazed at how each kid lit up when I said their names when I called on them at my center. It was tricky to learn them quickly, but it was so evident how much they wanted me to know them. And each of us are so like those precious little five-year-olds.
Well, I do like this. You make sense of hazy things like no body’s business.
There’s the whole “to re-name or not to re-name” debate in adoption circles. I see both sides. And our children have been young, which makes it a little less complicated (but just a little). In the end, I always love the idea of giving a name. “I have called you by name, you are mine.” So we give and we keep. We name. And then we just love.
Names are such wonderfully powerful things. It was such a wonderful privilege to name my little girl. It’s amazing to think that God calls each of us by name as well
wow , great post. Perhaps I identified with it as my daughter gave birth to twin boys last July.
I often think it is easy to pass the marginalized,the neglected, the poor simply because we do NOT know their names. Names deepen our compassion.
One of my favorite Bible stories is when Mary is weeping in the garden after His death on the cross and doesn’t know Jesus until He calls her by name. Now that is powerful!
I LOVE this. Thank you for using something a “simple” as a name be recognized as anything but “simple.”
this made my cry. His attention is turned to names. So intimate. So Him.
YES! yes! yes! YES! And…AMEN!
Names are so important. Having a very unique name myself, it means alot to me when someone says it correctly or actually uses it. My sister has a unique name as well but it is heard a little more often so when she recently spent a day of shopping with me she was shocked at how much I am asked about it! I love my unique name! This also made me think that a relationship isn’t real if you don’t use each others names. This most definitely applies to our relationship with God as well. If He knows us by name shouldn’t we know and use His name? Jesus did. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name”. Matt 6:9. “And I have made your name known to them and will make it known” John 17:26. Yes God lets us know His name “That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, You alone are Most HIgh over all the earth.” Ps.83:18. I feel so priveledged to be able to know and use the Almighty’s name in my relationship with Him. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of remembering names!
So beautiful how you help me to see the details of people. To know their names means to make them living, moving, in the present. I love your words today.
This is wonderful Emily – so true. The fact that He knows my name just humbles me more than I can say. And how special it is when someone else remembers my name. This series has truly been a blessing. Thank you.
I have so enjoyed your 31 day series! Thank you for your insights, and the beautiful way you share them.
Splendido e importante.
Un grande abbraccio affettuoso dall’Italia.
Wonderful and important.
A great warm hug from Italy.
Blessed be
Brunella
Oh that God would burn the names of the 200+ women I’m going to meet this week on my heart…because my head is foggy with sleeplessness and the crazy of leaving my little ones.
I truly want to know and remember and call them by name!
we are expecting our 4th any day and trying to figure out his/her name. this post is so timely and a great reminder of how much weight a name carries. we’ve also talked, though, of how we’ve watched our other children define their names…how now the name is only a symbol of all the person we see them becoming.
praying most of all that our children will be named God’s children….
thanks again for this post.
This makes me think back to your post on building a bench rather than building a platform. When you are high up on a platform, there is distance. There is the image of you in front of a sea of nameless people. But a bench. That is the intimacy you speak of here. Sitting on a bench, face to face, using names.
Love it.
Am I the only one who’s dying to know the names you picked out for your beautiful twin girls???
I love this. For so many reasons. You often speak God-words directly to my soul. We’re in the process of adopting. This post came at the right moment
Really beautiful, Emily! God relates to us through His many names … and through our names, too. We are personal to Him. Amen and amen!