Following the Trench Coat

In the movie Home Alone 2, Kevin McCallister runs after his family in the airport while he simultaneously tries to change the batteries in his voice recorder. His dad, wearing a tan trench coat, is nearly lost in the crowds in front of him, but Kevin keeps up until he stops for a second to finish his battery replacement. When he looks up, the inevitable plot device creeps in, completely unnoticed by Kevin. He catches sight of a man in a tan trench coat (not Kevin's dad), and he runs after him: "Dad! Wait up!" The fix is in place. Through a case of mistaken identity, Kevin's family heads off to Paris, and Kevin finds himself on a plane to New York City.

Some mornings, I find I have no words, or words that won't come together, or words that are all over the place. Today is one of those mornings. I've scrapped two drafts of what I wanted to say, but the third time's the charm, right? I've been up since four o'clock, praying, and finding very few things to put down in coherent form. 

In the close communion that Moses has with God, there's an exchange of names, starting with Exodus 33:12: "Moses said to the Lord, 'You have been telling me, 'Lead these people,' but You have not let me know whom You will send with me. You have said, 'I know you by name and you have found favor with Me.'"

I've talked before about how much weight name meanings carry, particularly in the Bible, but I think names bear significance even today. Isaiah 43:1 says: "I have redeemed you; I have called you by name. You are mine." There's something significant and intensely intimate about the great God of the universe knowing me, Tamara, by name... by name meaning. 

Because when He calls my name, He's not just calling three meaningless syllables. He's calling me palm tree. He's calling me firmly rooted. He's calling me not easily broken. He's calling me resilient. He's calling me fruit for the thirsty and hungry. He's calling me shade for the weary. He's calling me branches paving the way into Jerusalem for His Son.

I think the reciprocal is also true. We know God... by Name meaning! So when we speak of the Lord, when we speak of God, of Yahweh, of Adonai, of our Creator, of our Sustainer, of our Giver of Life, of the Ancient of Days, of the Redeemer, of the Savior, of the Good Shepherd, of the True Vine, of the Gardener, of the Gate for the Sheep, of El Roi, of El Shaddai... and on and on and on... 

We know Him by Name meaning. We don't follow Him only by what others say about Him. We know Him... by Name, too.  

The key difference? He calls us by name, able to see us -- all of us, our whole selves. We, on the other hand, "see but a poor reflection as in a mirror... We know in part..." (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Exodus 33:19, 21-23 says: "And the Lord said, 'I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My Name, the Lord, in your presence...' Then the Lord said [to Moses]: 'There is a place near Me where you may stand on a rock. When My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove My hand and you will see My back; but My face must not be seen."

We know in part, we know His Name in part, and during that "in part" time, we hide in the cleft of the rock, covered by the hand of the Lord, able to only see His back.

Thankfully, God provides arrows, directional pointers, and He keeps a closer eye on His children than the parents in the Home Alone franchise. But sometimes, I feel like Kevin, running through the crowds, straining to see the bobbing head, the flapping coat, pushing aside the distractions so I can get a clearer glimpse. Following my Dad's back.

It's coming. One day... because I know Jesus and His Spirit lives in me... I will see Him face to face. I am super excited to hear my name on His lips without the veil of earth between us. And I am even more excited to hear His Name, in its full glory. 

For now, I must carry out His plans and purposes for me in this imperfect tent, where I "see His back" each day -- but one day... I will see His face. What a day that will be!