by Christine Sine
The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.3 The man who guards the door opens it for him. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep, using their names, and he leads them out.4 He brings all of his sheep out. Then he goes ahead of them and leads them. They follow him because they know his voice. (John 10:2-4 International Children’s Bible)
Photo by Paweł Czerwiński on Unsplash
Yesterday I posted about our need to reimagine our world and the names of all the creatures in it with awe and wonder. I mentioned that in Genesis humankind named all the animals. Today I was struck by the fact that though we got to name the animals, it is Jesus who names us just as a shepherd names each of the sheep in his flock.
By what name does Jesus call you that gives you a sense of the awe and wonder with which he regards you? There is our given name – Christine “follower of Christ” is mine and it is one that I am very proud of as I suspect that Jesus did play a part in my naming. But what other names has Jesus given me that make me distinctive from all the other Christine’s in this world? Here are some that I hope are on the list – healer, encourager, inspirer, friend and companion.
What about you? What are the names that distinguish you from every other person in the world, the names that make it possible for Jesus to call to you so that you know he is calling you and you alone?