Name, Please (Part Two)
After a recent update on my iPhone, some of my contacts’ names were separated from their cell phone numbers. It drove me nuts! I don’t know people’s numbers and had to respond to countless text messages with “I’m sorry…Who is this?” Names are important. One of the time-consuming tasks as I would prepare for a new batch of first graders each year was labeling everything with their names. There were the lockers, the mailboxes, supply cubbies, choice sticks, name plates, chairbag tags, book boxes, job chart tags…and the list goes on. This all had to be completed each time a new student entered my class as well. Now, I realize that many teachers use a number system to streamline this process, but I always valued having things personalized. Besides, by the time I wrote all those names that many times I became pretty familiar with my student list! I have many memories of situations regarding kids’ names. Indulge me as I share a few of my favorite and somewhat humorous stories…
One year I had a name on my incoming class list that was quite lengthy–Abdurahamane. I don’t know how many times I had to dispose of a tag and start over because I ran out of room. But I eventually completed that task and all his things were labeled. And then we had Meet the Teacher Night when his mother informed me that he goes by “Mike”. (Sigh)
Nicknames have special significance. When you use someone’s nickname it indicates a different level of relationship. You know this individual in a more personal way. Another year during Meet the Teacher Night a very large family accompanied one of my new students into the room. Oh my. I just loved this family. Yarees was the youngest of several children and the entire family had come to check out his new classroom and lend him all the support they could. His mother pulled me aside to let me know that he goes by “Mr. Man” at home. I responded that, although I thought that was cute, I would probably need to refer to him by his given name in class. They completely understood. But one day a few weeks later when I was leading my little ducklings down the hall, Yarees happened to be at the front of the line with me, holding my hand. I looked down at him, grinned and said quietly with a wink, “Hey, Mr. Man.” You should have seen the smile spread across that gorgeous little face! That small moment set our relationship on a different level. He knew that I knew him in a very personal way.
A little Hispanic boy in my class was named Jorge. He missed Meet the Teacher Night and was new to our school, so after meeting him the first day of school I privately asked him if I should use the Spanish pronunciation of his name (“hor-hay”). With a cute high-pitched little voice he replied, “My name is Jorge (Spanish pronunciation) but you can call me George.” So we called him George. He was very soft-spoken and his family never really became very involved, so I never knew if I was using the correct name. I wonder if he would have felt more at home had we called him Jorge.
I cannot remember the name of one little girl as I write this–probably due to the fact that she kept changing it. Her name had a common nickname and at the beginning of the year her mother told me she went by the nickname. After several weeks the girl informed me that she wanted to go by her real name. But weeks later she was writing her nickname on everything again, so I checked to see which name to use. She wanted the nickname again. This repeated itself off and on throughout the year. I think she just liked both names. Hopefully she has resolved this issue by now and isn’t having an identify crisis.
People call me Laurie. Only a few people–and those that read my last post–know my real given name because I never use it. My parents never even called me that. (What’s up with that, mom and dad? Haha) My husband calls me “honey”, my kids call me “mom” and I’m “grandma” to eleven little sweethearts. Students called me “Mrs. Cross”. God knows all my names. In Isaiah 43:1 the Lord is speaking of Israel when he says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” But He says this to each of us. He knows us intimately. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139:13) “You keep track of all my sorrows.” (Psalm 56:8) “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5) “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Luke 12:7)
God knows us better than anyone and He knows names are important. He even changed the names of some well-known Biblical heroes: Abram (exalted father) became Abraham (father of a multitude); Simon (hearing) became Peter (Rock); Jacob (to follow) became Israel (one who prevails with God). God will give each of us new names when we join Him in heaven if we have accepted the gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. “…You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.” (Isaiah 62:2b) What a precious and intimate expression of His love for us! Naming a child is a unique privilege exclusively reserved for a parent. How appropriate that our Heavenly Father would rename us. I sure don’t know what my new name will be, but I know it will be meaningful and beautiful and full of love. The thought of this inspires me to live a life worthy of the new name I will be given. I just hope it fits on my nametag.
