Hey y’all!!! A SUPER SATURDAY to ya!!! I pray that your day is off to an amazing start and continues to be great! If it isn’t, know that I’m praying that it gets better!
And. Here’s. My. Story……
Two years ago, when I began my employment for the public school system, I had to get used to being called by my sir name. Let me tell you what I mean…..you see, during each of my work experiences, I’ve always been called Alecia or Miss Alecia (by my kiddos). Every name badge, note card, and sticky note ALWAYS said “ALECIA”. When I began working at the school, I received an ID that read ‘Miss White’. Although I KNOW my name and I KNEW that I was the only “White” there, I still had a hard time adjusting
. I wasn’t ignoring my coworkers or the kiddos, I just really didn’t “hear” them. I wasn’t accustomed to being called by MY NAME. It took me almost a month to consistently answer to ‘MISS WHITE’. I even had to get used to introducing myself as such. Ya see…working for a school district, your first name is like top secret, “if I tell you then I’ll have to kill you”, type information (LOL!!! Uh…laugh please). So yeah…I went from, “Hi, I’m Alecia” to “Yes, I’m Miss Ale….uh…Miss White”. I’m sure they got frustrated and wondered, “what the heck is wrong with this woman??? I know she hears me calling her!!! Does she even know her name???”; but they never showed it. They simply understood when I explained and they helped me learn to answer to who I was…who I am.
Yeah…yeah…I do have a point…….thank you very much. 😉
You see, as children of God, we have learned (or should have, or should be learning) “our names”…..our callings….who we are meant to be in Christ. Also, as children of God, we often have the tendency to expect everyone else to answer to their “names” or callings before they’ve even learned who or what they really are; or just after they’ve begun to learn. We get frustrated with them instead of being patient and helping to guide them. We forget to remember that we’ve just recently learned our callings (uh huh!), or still trying to figure them out (we dress up our cluelessness real good). We get really pushy about serving the Lord and that is NOT how He intends for us to be.
We must realize that God didn’t reveal EXACTLY who we were to be until we became “ready” (by His standards). You ever notice that, in the Bible, God didn’t change names of His servants until He’d been grooming Him to serve Him? He changed their names IN HIS TIMING! The same with those that are coming into the fold, He will reveal things to them as they are “ready”…sometimes He reveals things to US before they are ready. Often, God shows us the potential and purpose in others so that we can be in prayer for them, or intercede for them; or even because we have the right knowledge, experience, and/or relationship to help cultivate what is within them.
God does not need our help in “naming” His children…He’s already done that. He does not need our help in “calling” His children…He’s already done that. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” (John 10:27) This scripture means that if God called them, they will hear Him and follow Him. Sometimes, He just needs us to PATIENTLY call them by their sir names until they can “hear” and answer. Remember, He is calling them with the same patience and love that He called to you. “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:15)
“The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” Jeremiah 31:3
Enjoy you Saturday!
Love y’all (I really do),
Ms. A.M.White