When They Know Your Name

We recently had our friends, David and Lindsey, over for lunch. We mostly invite them over so we can enjoy the company of their 15 month old son, Cooper.

Cooper can walk now and he is building quite a vocabulary. When Lindsey asks him, "Where's Miss Dianna?", he points to me and says, "Nana."

The first time (and the second and third, etc.) he did this I was caught unaware. Without notice I felt my heart melt instantly. It was the sweetest thing to hear him say, "Nana." Oh my goodness.

A few days later I was working at the shelter. We have a family living there temporarily as guardians because it's not a good idea to leave a house vacant in Guatemala. They are staying there while we do the renovations in preparation for reopening El Refugio this fall. Wilson and Karla are the parents to a cute 2 year old boy, Dan (pronounced 'don').

I was working in a large room when Dan appeared at the door and said, "Ninana, blah blah blah." This was the first time that he had attempted to say my name that I could recognize it. And it happened again. My heart melted right there.

What is so sweet and adorable about a toddler learning to say your name? I have thought about this a lot over the last week and I really can't figure out why it is so sweet to me. But I have already realized that when we have grandchildren and when they begin calling me Nana or Gramma or Granny or whatever they are able to say, I will probably be reduced to tears in an instant. I have no doubt I will be a pushover to whatever is asked of me.

And as I mulled this discovery over in my mind, I began to wonder what it would feel like if God spoke my name out loud like these 2 sweet toddlers had.

"Dianna."

I can barely type the words without tears pooling up.

He knows my name.

What an incredible thought. I'm not just a soul wandering aimlessly on this earth; I am a child of the King whose name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Close your eyes (well, after you read this next sentence, then you can close your eyes.) and imagine what it would sound like to hear God speak your name audibly.

Again, what an incredible thought.