He knows your name, do you know His voice

I have a friend named Tanya (short A) from South Louisiana and a friend named Tanya (short O) from North Louisiana, who spell their names the same exact way but pronounce them differently.

Please don’t tell them this, because it’s embarrassing, but their name game causes me great confusion. I agree. A belle should know how to pronounce her friends’ names, especially when she’s known Tanya (short A) for an umpteen dozen years and Tanya (short O) for more than a decade.  And yet, when the phone rings, and it’s one of them, I have to stop and think before I can greet them! The last thing I want is to offend either of them!

See, I’m praying a lot for Short A Tanya because she lost her job, home, and car in the historic flooding that has devastated the lower part of our state. I’ve also been praying for Short O Tanya because she has experienced more heartache and loss in her life than I can wrap my head around and her heart is still seeking God. And yet, every time I bring their names to Father, I have to stop and think, lest I pronounce their names wrong.

My latest tip for myself is that A comes before O and I’ve known Short A Tanya longer than Short O Tanya.  It’s helping. A little.

Sad, isn’t it? If you haven’t changed the channel or quit reading because you think I’m not playing with a full deck—and you might just have a case— I’d like to say thank you and close with a beautiful truth. The One that hears my prayers isn’t confused by the pronunciation of my friends’ names. John 10:3 says, “…The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

Our Creator, the One who is intimately acquainted with all of our joys and all of our sorrows, calls us by name and loves us every one. Take refuge in Him, my friends. His mercies are fresh every morning.

Hugs, Shellie