I wonder what my name is?

When we moved back to Texas 4 years ago, we tackled the huge task of finding a church to call home. We left a full time ministry position in St. Louis and needed to rest, sit back and receive and have God heal our marriage. When we walked into 121 Community Church the first Sunday, we knew without a doubt this would be our new church home. The worship was authentic. The teaching was Biblically sound and full of truth. No gimmicks. No topical studies. Just meat...just what we needed.

4 years later we are still gnawing on the meat our pastor serves up each week. We are walking through the book of John. Here is what I came away with this Sunday:

We looked at John 10:1-21. Verse 3 really jumped out at me. I have read this story many times, I even have it underlined in my Bible (Yes, I mark in my Bible!!). Verse 3 says, "The watchman opens the gate for him (the shepherd), and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out." Our pastor expounded a bit on the eastern shepherding culture and it made this verse even more meaningful to me. He explained that the pens or folds that held the sheep would be used by numerous herds at a time. The animals were able to distinguish their master's voice from another shepherd. The verse talks about the shepherd calling his sheep by name. Not names like we think of like Ann or Billy, but names based on the characteristics of the individual sheep. I love that!

Since Jesus compares himself to a shepherd, I remember leaning over to my husband and asking, "I wonder what He calls me?" :)

God - thank you for not giving up on me! You are slowly refining me by chiseling away the stinky, stubborn and rebellious parts of my character.