Name

He rounded the corner of the store to the bike shop and the manager asked if he could help him, knowing full well who he was and why he was there. (He recognized me from the day before as I had come to make sure things were in order for our field trip.) Blake, my grandson is turning five and has grown so much that his knees nearly hit the handle bars of his three year old bike....so a new one was in order. Blake replied. I am here to show "Gramps" my bike. We (Blake and I) had come earlier in the week to do bike homework and left with a perfect choice in mind and when asked what name to hold it under Blake looked at the man carefully and watched him write as he spelled out
"B" "L" "A" "K"E", but it would be Gramps who had to OK the purchase.

Well what is your name? asked the saleman. My name is Blake...and in reply, he said, there is a bike right around this corner with your name on it. And Blake ran in anticipation....there it was..the one we had chosen last week...with the name Blake in big black letters on a neon green piece of paper hanging from the handlebars! His smile could not have been grander as he walked it out proudly to the aisle where Gramps was standing. That's a pretty big bike Blake, you think you are big enough to ride that? Uh...huh...And he was off! And when he returned from his short bike jaunt the conversation continued....are you sure this is the bike you want...and Blake replied, Gramps it has my name on it. And literally it did!

We have used that term casually for years..."it has your name on it" in reference to a variety of things...but the bike story was such a realistic example of our name being placed upon something. What if we were to imagine God labeling our chores, our purposes, his selected relationships for our lives, out appointed jobs, or volunteer activities, or services to others....wouldn't that be so easy? The guesswork would be gone and we would know clearly what and who we were suppose to be responsible for. We would know our place....kind of like place cards...and where we were to lite. But instead of labels with our names on it God chose to make our quest a little more interesting....he added trust and faith to be his lofty components.

In reality the bike story is a lot like our story...for we did our homework first....we looked and debated and tried....before we found the one that fit our chosen criteria. Isn't that what we do in life. We make choices according to our abilities, our desires, our tastes...etc. And when it is all said and done...we label whatever it is with our name. It is my job, my family, my car, my spot, my friends....we place our name on the things that are important to us.

Consider a minute that God has placed each of our names in His book of life. Now that is of importance. He knows us so intimately that he can tell us how many hairs are on our head, what we had for breakfast, what trails are testing us, and what anxious thoughts we are trying to overcome, what heartaches have landed on our souls, and the blessings that he has sent to us and are before us.

Envision a minute God holding up your name in writing....Big letters...neon paper....now what is he calling YOU to do? Even if you are not paying attention someone else might nudge you and say "Look "that has your name on it"... What does God have around the corner that has your name on it? That is what we are called to seek out? Or maybe it will seek us out....and catch us unexpectedly off guard.

But whatever it is ..we can be sure that God will use it for his glory. He has done his homework and has selected for each of us a personalized purpose...and so many times what he chooses and what we would choose just don't match up. But even though it may not fall within our bounds...Christ's foresight is framed by his insight as to how he is going to develop our character and mold us according to the potential that he knows we have been created with. We are not so savvy as to see the whole picture that he does, for just when we do think we have things figured out God throws us a curve....and we are back to wondering and having to abide in faithful trust....that God is in control and he does know what he is doing.

There is something about seeing your name in writing that turns whatever it is attached to or on into being a personal brand. It confers that you are personally involved....somehow, someway. We know that God has our name etched into his book of eternity...but what about God's name etched into my daily list of chores. Do I honor his name by my every conversation....or my every deed, or my every thought? No way...and far from it...would he like me to? YES...the answer is yes Christ would like me to have his name front and center on my heart and mind, activating all my activities verbal and physical...for just as Blake's name was hung from the handlebars inciting possession...I am created and loved by Christ himself...and should allow him management privileges. His name should hang from my heart...and be displayed in ways that would glorify him....and let folks see that I not only belong to him....but honor that blessing...because I do!

We can and do go about our lives and our daily routines without often recognizing and incorporating the name of Christ as our overseer. But there is never a day that he does not recognize and incorporate us into his purposes. It is through "His Name Sake" that we have the freedom, the grace and the
mercy that rides with us through our day. Blessed are we to be named a child of His. For our lives have "HIS NAME ON US".

Acts 3:6
Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."

Dear Lord, Let us be reminded that your purposes for us are personalized, each having our name on it. Help us to recognize where you want us to go, and what you want us to do, and how you want us to approach situations that you allow to come before us....and let us do this with the written name of Jesus upon our hearts. Amen


Praise God wherever you are and whatever situation He has allowed you to be in . . . His glory will shine through!