"She Knows My Name"

And the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.” Exodus 33:17

It is my privilege to greet 600+ elementary students each morning as they dismiss from the school buses and make their way to their classrooms. Being that it is a new school year, there are many faces and names that I do not know, but their wide-eyes and expectant faces tell me they are kindergarteners. Today, as these precious 5 and 6-year-olds passed by, I spoke simple greetings such as, "Good morning Kindergarteners! Good morning, Children!"

Soon, I noticed a child who had a rough start a few days earlier and had spent some time with me as he worked through his struggle. He was coming my way with his head down and a most solemn look on his face, so I changed my greeting and said, "Well, good morning, Mason!" His response was absolutely precious and caught me so off guard. He didn't respond to my greeting, rather he lifted his head, straightened his shoulders, and with the most wonderful smile upon his face spoke these words to the children next to him, "She knows my name!" 

My heart danced as I watched him more confidently stroll into the school building. And my spirit thrilled at the thought that God knows my name too! Among the crowds, the Lord of the Universe knows my name. At the thought of this, I too walked more confidently into the school building and into my day. 

This sweet story mirrors what should be our response to the knowledge that the God of the Universe knows us by name. Not only does He reveal himself to us, but he is personally invested in us, and caring for us in the most intimate of ways.

Oh, Dear Friend, today hold your head high, straighten your shoulders, and smile because He knows your name!