The Game Changer

When Drew and Brittany announced that they were going to give us a grand baby, we were excited, of course, Personally I thought it was a little premature for me being so young and all, but I got on board quickly.

To be honest, I was a little hesitant. It was along the long lines of 'I don't know how to be a grandmother' which is not unlike how I felt when discharged from the hospital a day after Drew was born. I believe I actually said to Scott, "Are they really going to let us walk out of the hospital with this baby? We don't know how to take care of a baby?!!!!"

But grandparents? What did we want that to look like? How would it change our lives?

As expected, once we laid eyes and hands on Addy Grace, we were toast. There's nothing quite like holding your child's child. Every new accomplishment we greet with delight. When she made eye contact, smiled at us, and then laughed. Goners!


With every passing day, she's like a drug and we are addicted.

The biggie though was when she called us by name the first time (and EVERY time since), it was a game changer. This was when I knew we would have a forever relationship. My  heart grew three sizes that day! To hear her on FaceTime and in person call out "Mimi!" and "Pop!" is thrilling! I can't get enough of it.

Did you know that names matter to God? The most recent time I read through the Bible, the overarching theme I couldn't miss was names. Starting right after Creation:

God created all the earth, skies and seas and everything on it.
He named Adam then gave him the task of naming all the animals, fish, birds, etc. Also his partner, Eve.

Names matter. Names assign value and identity.

If you are a parent you likely took time and thought to name your children. Our story is that Scott chose Andrew James for our firstborn long before I was even pregnant. Andrew for  the Andrew in the Bible who when meeting Jesus ran to get his brother, telling him he'd met the Messiah and James His favorite book of the Bible. Next came Benjamin Scott because I thought Benjamin was a masculine name (though I feared punk kids calling him Benji) and Scott for obvious reasons. We tussled over Allyson Noelle, becoming those parents who couldn't decide right up to signing on the dotted line.

Of course, each of them assuming our last name was a weighty gift.

Once personalities began to emerge, their names modified a bit. Drew became Drewby or Drewby Dooby Doo or Drewie. Ben quickly was Ben-Ben, Benny (though I promised we wouldn't call him that), Ben-jammin, and Ben B. Ally had so many different nicknames due to her variety of personalities, even her grandmother wasn't sure what her middle name was for awhile: Ally, Ally Cinnamon (get it - Allycin - a min), Sally, Suzanne, Suzy, SallySuzy, SuzySally, Suzy Cutie, Suzy Fandango (don't ask) and so on.

God saw fit that His creation had names too and He gave them nicknames as well. Actually complete name changes to be exact. These changes reflected a change in call and responsibility (think Abram-Abraham; Sarai-Sarah; Jacob-Israel, Saul-Paul). I love that.

Our names are important to God too(He knows each one), but it's also important to Him that we know His.

Repeatedly through the Old Testament God reminds Moses and other leaders to tell the people to call Him "I Am, The Lord, your God.This is My Name Forever." Ex.3:14

He has many names too - God, Father, Prince of Peace, Yahweh, Jehovah, Wonderful, Counselor, Faithful and True, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Jesus, and many more.

The cool thing about that list is that with each name and description comes a consistent and constant invitation all through the Bible to know Him and call on His Name.

Call on Him for help. Call on Him when distressed. Call on Him when you're lonely. Call on Him when you don't know what to do.

The Bible is filled with promises that when we call on the Name of this personal, intimate God who knows our very names, He will hear. He will answer.

I think Addy has figured out that we love her, adore her, and want to be there for her. And that when she calls our name, we immediately avert our eyes to her.

In fact, she expects it. (Believe me, if we don't, she lets us know!) It's ok because we love it. We want to hear our names come out of her adorable little mouth in her sweet toddler voice. We want her to want us.

It is not hard to draw a sharp parallel here to how God responds to our call, is it? When we call out to God, by name...

He sees, He hears, He delivers, He rescues, He shows up. He wants us to know Him. This God of Names can be trusted. 

He gave you a name because you are valuable. He knows your name and wants relationship with you.






He wants you to know His name because His names describe His character and display His promises.

He invites you to call out that Name for whatever you need, specifically Him.

I tell you, when Addy Grace says "Mimi", everything stops. I would never ignore her. I wouldn't turn my face away. I'm never mad at her. I can't imagine anything she could do that would lessen my love for her. I want her to want me and I want us to be close at all of her ages and stages.

This is a theme of the Bible and the heart of God for you and for me.

Call Him today. Want Him today. He wants you.