Names we love to hear . . .
The most unusual name I remember from my family was Peter Piper, who married my daddy’s first cousin. However, Peter Piper is not the most unusual name I’ve ever heard. His sister was Merry Christmas.
When my friends got together for our Spring Fling this year, one of our many conversation topics was unusual names parents have named their children. Two examples I heard that day come to mind: Oranjello and Lemonjello, pronounced Or-an’-je-lo and Le-mon’-je-lo. I’m guessing the inspiration came from a couple of little boxes of a ready-to-make sugary treat picked up at a grocery store. Whatcha think?
In 1855 Frederick Whitfield published “Oh, How I Love Jesus.” Here’s the first verse and the chorus.
There is a Name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in my ear,
The sweetest Name on earth.
Chorus:
O how I love Jesus,
O how I love Jesus,
O how I love Jesus,
Because He first loved me!
Motivational speaker Dale Carnegie said:
“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
I agree with Frederick Whitfield about the sweetest Name we hear. Still, a person’s name is also a very sweet and important sound in his or her ears. That’s why it’s important that those who say the name of a child say it lovingly. Usually that means we say it sweetly; and sometimes it means we say it really loudly because we are warning of impending danger. Those loud name calls are rare. It’s the daily sweet sound of a child’s own name spoken lovingly by those who love him or her that nourishes the hearts of children.
Our Father in Heaven treats His children’s names with sweetness and love as well.
But now, thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel,
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are Mine!”
Isaiah 43:1
Indeed, true companion,
I ask you also to help these women
who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel,
together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers,
whose names are in the book of life.
Philippians 4:3