Skip to main content

What's in a Name?

Her name is Janice. 

Who? The homeless woman who lives in the alley across the street from my work. She has a cart and a small suitcase always by her side. She always sleeps sitting up - at least anytime I see her.

I've taken her a bag of water and some snacks once. I pray for her a lot.

Until yesterday, I'd only spoken to her once - the time I dropped off the water and snacks. I told her my name and asked her hers. She spoke it quietly, barely above a whisper. 

Yesterday I saw her standing at the end of the alley rather than sleeping in the back of it. I dug through my purse and pulled out two fives. I unrolled my window and drove up to her at the alley.

I called her name to get her to come to me.

Her head shot up and she just stared at me. She seemed shocked to be called that or that I remembered her.

Then she came to me and we talked and I handed her the money.

A few seconds after she left my car, I heard the manager of another local business call her by her name and ask how she was.

Two things there: made me feel better that others knew her name and cared about her AND that he took time to know her name, too.

Names are powerful things. They are our identifiers. They were given to us at our births (or soon thereafter). They are constant companions. They are yours. When all else changes in your life, your name is the one thing you continue to hold onto. 

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. (Isaiah 43:1b)

I've been reading the final book in a series by Charles Martin called The Record Keeper. The books tells an amazing tale of strength, purpose, and hope in the most depraved situations, those being (in)humanly trafficked. Here is just one page of so many that I could have shown you where the author pens so beautifully how important being known is...the value and importance of that name.

Another quote is: We didn't know who we were, and more importantly, we didn't whose we were - forever proving that identity precedes purpose. You can't know who you are until you've settled whose you are.

Wow. 

Whose are you?

I'll tell you who I am. I'm the daughter of Rene' and Debbie Escalante; the sister to Michelle, Roberto, and Michael; the aunt to Lucas, Logan, Roberto (Bubba), Nathaniel, and Patrick; a great-aunt to Giavana; a friend to many; the granddaughter to Carol and adopted granddaughter to Vivian and Teresa; the niece to Juan, Minerva, Roberto, Adrian, and Sara; and a cousin to many. I am a writer, a decorator, an assistant, a neurotic cleaner, an avid reader.

But, there is One of whom I am His. I am the daughter of the King. A sinner saved by grace. A woman whose Savior loves her and reaches His hand out to her daily to remind her that she is HIS.

Because I know WHOSE I am, I can find purpose in WHO I am. 

I'll ask again, whose are you? If you're unsure or struggling, oh, please let me pray with you. It would be my honor.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beauty in Changing

This time of year is beautiful in the Midwest. The weather is cooling, drawing us to our hoodies, cozy sweaters and long forgotten jeans. Yards are decorated with cornstalks, pumpkins and fancy scarecrows. On trash days, curbs are lined with bags and bags of dead leaves and other yard waste as home owners ready their home for the coming cold months. And then there are the trees. I've taken a walk the last few nights with Lucas around our neighborhood and enjoyed the changing foliage much more than my twelve year old nephew. I'm a picture person. He's a get it done kind of kid. I stop a LOT to admire scenery. His mind has already completed the walk and is on to his next video game. He is often a block ahead of me before he realizes I stopped to admire a pinecone on the ground or a beautiful leaf on the road. I saw this quote and it resonated with me again:    Isn't that great? Humans resist change. We have readily displayed that ever since Covid-19 disrupted our lives an...
Post a Comment
Read more
What are you dreaming about?  Wishing for?  Waiting for? Just those questions alone can bring more to mind than your heart was ready to process.  I know it's true for me.  I haven't blogged for three years.  Want to know what one of my dreams is?  Writing!  Ironic, huh? In this past month I've switched some things up with positive results.  I used to wait to spend time with God at the very end of my day and that came with varying results.  Either I'd be so exhausted that I'd only muster enough to open up the Bible app on my phone and settle for just a nugget of God's truths that day.  Sometimes I'd get my Bible opened then be sidetracked by a nephew getting ready for bed or a whiny dog.  Sometimes, I'd forget altogether.  None of this made for a strong me. When the kids started back to school this year, I decided to make a change for myself. Instead of getting up at the same time as always, I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. al...
Post a Comment
Read more

Trust your Author

As a child, I loved reading.  Little House on the Prairie and the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke were my favorites.  I also loved Beverly Cleary books as a younger girl and the Sweet Valley High books in middle school. In high school, I didn't find a lot of time to read and didn't pick up many book recreationally until my twenties.  I would always look for Christian fiction, but quickly grew tired of the same old story.  Woman had a job, but is unfulfilled.  She meets a man, often one that is not interested in her or that she doesn't like.  Fast-forward after several chance encounters and several missteps and VOILA!, they fall in love.  Bleck.  That works for a Hallmark movie for me that I'm only required to invest less than 2 hours in.  But not for a book. Hours of time go into reading a book.  Sometimes just finding a book that looks interesting takes a lot of time.  That is, until I found the author Karen Kingsbury....
Post a Comment
Read more