Nicknames
- Sharron
- Sep 1, 2012
- 2 min read
“I cried to the Lord, and he answered me.” Psalm 120:1
Sweet potato, sweetness, cuddle bug – I must have at least a half-dozen nicknames for my son. He’s only one, so he doesn’t realize yet that some of these may sound silly or be slightly embarrassing. But for me, each one describes just how I feel about him at that particular moment. When I go into his room first thing each morning, he’s simply ‘sweetness’. Because the image of him curled up in a tiny ball or stretched out like an ‘X’ is nothing but sweetness. When he’s sick, as he has been lately, his usual modus operandi goes out the window and he wants to just snuggle close to me. Then he’s my little cuddle bug. The names make so much sense to me.
Like my son, I have had my share of nicknames through the years. Each one defines a different period in my life. Though I’m mostly called by my formal name now, certain people who knew me from childhood sometimes call me by that name. College friends, on the other hand, have an entirely different way of addressing me. Nicknames that used to make me cringe are now welcomed with delight. Because I realize that they are all simple ways for that person to identify me and to do so with affection.
So it is with God. At our most vulnerable and desperate times, we find ourselves calling out to God to save us, help us or heal us. And when our valley of despair becomes our mountaintop of victory we can remember how he was our Jehovah Jireh, providing for us. Or maybe he was our Jehovah Rapha, healing us. Or quite simply, he could have been our Jehovah shalom, giving us perfect peace in the midst of life’s storm. Whatever he has been or is for you, can you think about it with affection and not anger? Remember how he moved situations to bring you to the place where you are now. Or perhaps, He kept you in the situation but changed your temperament. When you reflect back on this situation, remember that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is also your God. He exists to help all in whatever place or circumstance you find yourself.
When you first meet a person you generally call them by their first name or their surname. But when you get to know them and develop a relationship with them, then the quirks in their personality and the bond that you share make their first name seem too formal, their surname too antiquated. As your relationship deepens you find a way to connect with them on a more personal level. To some extent, I believe it is the same way with God. When I simply think of his goodness, it’s personal. Not formal. What about you? How has God touched your life in a personal way? What circumstances has he moved or changed that brought you closer to Him? How has he moved from being the God of your parents or grandparents, to be your personal savior?
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