Uniquely His

When I was little, I really disliked my name. I can't say I'm super fond of it now, but the biggest issue I had with it all those years ago, was the spelling (something I've grown to appreciate). On family vacations, I'd search rack after rack at gift shops, looking for personalized pencils, imprinted bags, customized bracelets, and those cute little stamped license plates for your bike: I rarely found Judy, much less J-U-D-I. I began spelling my name with a y, just to be "normal." My mother curtly responded by telling me she'd used an I that I might stand out; not something an introverted twelve-year old wants to do. Yet, having someone recognize me, place my name on something I possessed was somehow important to me. These days, when I search gift shops looking for my name, I look to be sure it's not there. I like being the only J-U-D-I in the room. I like being unique.

Psalm 139 is one of the most powerful reminders of our uniqueness at the hands of a creative and powerful God. My mother chose my name; she had the power to do that. But she had no way of knowing whether that name would suit me, whether I'd appreciate the rarity of it, whether it would fit nicely with the last name of my one-day husband (Trust me, I've heard some really interesting match-ups!). God knows everything about His children. When He formed us, He formed us with a purpose and for that purpose --His glory. He designed the DNA within us to reflect both of our parents. (People always told me how much I look like my mom. My response was always, "You should have seen my dad.") Each of us was made with thoughts our Heavenly Father understands and words our Heavenly Father knows before we say them. He has divinely appointed and constrained events throughout the days He has determined for us. He knows everything about us: our triggers, our dreams, our weaknesses, our fears, and our joys. He sees us at all times, everywhere we go. Even the parts of ourselves we deny or the ones of which we are unaware, He knows. He thinks innumerable thoughts of favor toward us, and He will guide us where we need to go. But we have to be His children.

God isn't going around blessing and favoring and protecting and maturing those who deny Him any more than my mother could go around naming the children in our neighborhood. His favor (and His discipline as well) is for His children, those who are uniquely His. Are there those who reject the God of the Bible who are rich or famous or happy in their relationships? Absolutely, but they're not the people I want to be when the fat lady sings --or even when she's just warming up, to be honest. Where is their blessing coming from? I want the blessing of being God's child, of finding my name written not on a beanie or a bookbag, but in the Lamb's Book of Life. I pray you do, too.