Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

2 Tim. 2:19

He Knows My Name.

So there I was…the first morning of the conference. I entered breakfast rather uncomfortably, and just chose 2 women to sit down with. Little did I know one was a Proverbs 31 speaker and the other a special speaker for the event. At any rate, we clicked right away and I was chatting away with the gal I had breakfast with. She had a great role with a leadership ministry that I couldn’t wait to hear more about. We had the same first session and were talking non-stop even as we sat down. Some kind person in charge of the session kindly asked someone to move over so the two of us could sit together.

As the wildfire ministry guy started talking about marketing, we settled in and began taking notes. Soon, the gal on the other side of her spoke up with a question. As soon as she spoke, I thought, “Wow, her ministry sounds a lot like Mary Banks at Wow consulting.”

Two years ago I had e-mailed this lady after reading an article in a John Maxwell magazine and visiting her web site. I loved her work and her ministry and wanted to pray for her. I receive her monthly e-mail newsletter and pray for her each time I receive it. I couldn’t rationalize that she would be her, and I didn’t see her on the speaker list, but at quick glance she did seem to look a bit like her. At any rate, I didn’t hear much of the rest of the session, because I just HAD to know if she was Mary. Sure enough, as she stood up I could catch a glimpse of her name tag, and SHE WAS…

I introduced myself as the random gal from Iowa who had e-mailed to pray for her. (Of course she barely remembered! I can’t imagine how many e-mails she receives…) Anyway, she was there alone, so we had lunch together and got to know each other.

Following that time, we were able to attend another session together, in which she sat down by me (on her own!). The following day I was getting on the elevator and as the door opened, there she was leaving the two of us, alone, to talk. This might not sound like a big thing, but there were 600 people at this conference. God had this appointment set! I was so engaged in our talk I even got off on her floor instead of riding up to mine (major red face embarrassment!). I didn’t care though, because she knew my name. You see, when the elevator doors opened, she said, “Well Hi Jen!” I quickly looked down to see if my name tag was showing and it wasn’t! As soon as I got to my room on my floor, I called my husband. He answered and I immediately shouted, “SHE KNOWS MY NAME…MARY BANKS KNOWS MY NAME!” I was so excited that she knew my name.

I was supposed to be prepping for my talk that night, which didn’t happen. Deep within me, I couldn’t shake the feeling that God was saying, “I know your name. When was the last time you got that excited because I know your name? Seriously, Jen.”

We read in scripture… Psalm 139:1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. Vs. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.

Mary Banks is human. While I still admire her works, she is human. But GOD also knows my name. He knows everything about me. How can I get so giddy about one earthly human and miss the personal, loving, relationship with God? He wants more than to be Sovereign. He wants me to know Him intimately: to seek Him and search Him and know him. He waits on that…

Psalm 14:2

The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Psalm 53:2

God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.

Proverbs 8:17

I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.

Jeremiah 29:13

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Acts 17:27

God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. WOW! What a great reminder that He wants me to SEEK Him! I should be singing this joy song every day. He knows my name. The God of this Universe, the maker of heaven and earth, the Alpha and Omega, that same guy, no seriously, the same one, He knows my name… Why don’t I rejoice in that every day? What causes me to take that for granted? Why am I not calling my husband and my friends and declaring this?

And He wants to have a personal relationship that is two sided with me, and it can be even deeper than it is today. WOW!

As I think about it, nothing was going to get in the way of Mary Banks. As we concluded our time on Sunday, she rejoiced in seeing me and gave me a big hug. Somehow, some of the magic was gone. OK – I was still very happy, but I had the song “He knows my name” ringing in my heard.

He’d taken His place back. I know that Mary was God appointed, and while I’m not certain how He’ll use this new relationship, I do know that He knows my name, and if I seek him through His Holy Spirit, He will reveal His plan to me.

Even as I write this, the song on the radio is singing, “Welcome home. I know you by name. How do you do? Come and be loved. Tell me how you are.” For now I will ask, seek, knock, and know that I will find. Praise God!