Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in Heaven. Luke 10:20
Do you ever sit and write the name of someone you love? Maybe it was in elementary school: “Sally loves Charlie”. Or, maybe it has carried on into adulthood, and you still find yourself scribbling the names of loved ones while talking mindlessly on the phone with customer service. I find myself writing down the names of my family members and becoming creative in how I write each one, even adding little designs to certain letters. I am by no means an artist, but my feeble attempts at lettering sometimes make me feel competent in my creative endeavors.
How does it feel when you write down the names of certain people who are dear to you? If you’re like me, you take special care in writing each letter in guided cursive, tracing over each angle and curve to make it look beautiful, just as that person is beautiful to you. I often think about the ways in which I love that person, whether it be a grandparent from my family tree or one of my children. When I write their names, I am thinking about them and how they bring joy to my life. I am remembering a hug or a plate of peeled oranges being delivered to my front door unexpectedly. I am thinking of playing in creeks and bedtime stories being shared. With those thoughts come an artistic flow into the letters, as well as a stream of emotion in my heart. Each artistic expression is an artistry that flows from me as a result of a great endearing love I have for each individual.
When God writes our names, what happens? Does His mighty pen swirl in colorful motion to create new ways in displaying the name, “Jackie”? Do His hands perform new creative works that reach forth to the bearer of the name and unleash miracles and wonders in them they never experienced before? Are the small everyday happenings that bring new life to our souls the result of the Maker of the Universe writing down our names?
Jesus tells us in Luke 10:20 that we should rejoice because our names are written in Heaven. Much scripture in the Bible discusses a Book of Life where the names of God’s children are written. In Isaiah 49, the children of Israel had proclaimed that God had forsaken them and forgotten them. God replied with the verses that follow:
Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet, will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” Isaiah 49:15-16
God assures the children of Israel that even a mother should not be able to forget a child she has raised since birth, but even if she should, they should rest assured that He would never forget them or forsake them. He had their names engraved in the palms of His hands. God is thinking of His children continually.
What wonderful promises we have in God’s word of His love and compassion for us. We should continually praise Him and live in a way that glorifies His name. We should create memories for our Creator that touch His heart when He writes down our names. We should talk to Him daily, so that maybe He will be scribbling our names and thinking beautiful thoughts about us. Maybe those thoughts would stretch forth on any give day and make a beautiful rainbow for us to see or a smile from a stranger to warm our hearts. Maybe a joyous miracle would ensue for our benefit. Who knows what glorious things the mind of God can create for us in response to our faithfulness.
I can’t say what all miracles may happen when God writes down our names, but I do want to say again and again, “God, write my name.”
With love, Sister Jackie
Day of Small Things 