what's in a name?

who really knows my name? when i meet someone, do they remember it a second later or did they just ask my name to be polite? i think a lot of people, including me, tend to do the latter.

"rejoice that your names are written in heaven." luke 10:20b

when nobody else remembers my name, God does. in fact, He goes a step farther...MY NAME is written in HEAVEN-the perfect place where God sits on His throne!!! it's so comforting when i think of how God looks down and sees billions upon trillions of people...but not just as a group; as individuals. He knows ME AND YOU personally and better than anyone else does. when i can't even interpret my own feelings (which is pretty often...like ALL the time!), God knows them. i've heard the phrase "He knows me better than i know myself" so many times, but there is so much truth to that. He knows me for me. and you know what's crazy? if He really knows me deep inside, then He can see all the billions upon trillions of sinful things in me...BUT HE STILL LOVES ME!!!!

i can't try to earn His love by hiding what i don't want Him to see, because He sees it all. every "little" sin. everything. and it may sound strange, but i love it that way and i wouldn't want it any other way. when i talk to Him, i don't have to pretend to be someone that i'm not. actually, it makes me want to go a step farther and be more genuine. i don't want Him to look at me and be disappointed if my actions don't match my heart. i want my heart to change and my actions to be the overflow of my heart. and that's the way it should be. actions are deceiving. i mean think about it. we can make ANYONE believe ANYTHING about ourselves. but i want people to know the real me...not some fake lauren i show them.

God knows the real me. and He is really the only One that matters anyway. so HE is the One we should be striving to impress...not other people.

so the next time you are worried about people remembering your name, remember that there will ALWAYS be at least One that does! and not just anyone....your Creator, your Savior, and your longer-than-life-long Friend.