It was Monday afternoon and the heat of the day. It was the worst time to go to market, because of the heat, but we had company in town and wanted to send them off with a parting gift and with the constraints of school in the morning and busy evenings afternoon and the heat were my only option. As I walked to the local Suc I was amazed by how many different names I have come to answer by. In the course of two hours here are my names:
Abuk (my dinka name)
A— (my english name)
Wife of J– (in arabic)
Mother of… (W-man, D-man, Flower girl or PJ) (in arabic)
My friend (in arabic)
My dear friend in christ (in arabic)
kuwayja (white person)
my sister (in arabic and english)
my mother (in english)
mother of four (in arabic)
teacher (in arabic)
hey you (in english)
Hello boy (in english…)
As you can see some are more accurate then others. It does not matter what I am called it matters who it is that is calling for me. When my friend yells from afar, “my friend I have missed you!” My heart leaps a bit within me. When I haven’t gotten out to visit for the day and Julia stops in to check on me and calls from her house, “my neighbor where are you?”. Or when I pass by my friends house and she calls out, “sister”. When little two year old Melut runs behind me along the path saying, “a—,a—, a—, a—“, when Claire’s voice booms out “howdy neighbor” or little Josh calls up “auntie a—?” these are the things my heart responds to. It is the people my heart responds to not what words they use to summon my attention, the how I am called, my very name, becomes much less important then the one who is calling it out. —————————
What a beautiful thought, when applied to the many (all accurate!) names of Our Father!
Thank you, my first-born daughter, your words always bless me, cause me to think, often smile and always reflect on the image of God displayed in you. Love you.
Thank you, A— for sharing this with me. I love you and enjoyed the names you listed today. I smiled because you are so blessed by God to have the influence with the people you spend time daily with. Every name is special and shows everyone how much you are loved. Continually praying for you and your family. God is and will continue to use you, J– and the family in your ministry.
A—, your post seems a beautiful picture/perspective of God the Father and how He longs that we call out to Him…just because He longs to fellowship with us! Wow! What an awesome fact!