It was a day I’ll never forget.

I had finally grown tall enough to answer the phone without a step stool. We had a fancy, black, rotary-style phone that hung on the wall. It was not a “party” line (where several families shared the same telephone line) like so many of our friends had. We had a “private” line as Dad’s job was dependent on a phone call-out. We didn’t even have to go through an operator to dial a number, we could dial the numbers ourselves. As there was only one phone in the whole house, it was in a central location to make it easily accessible. As I was passing by, it rang – and I got to answer it.

It was a wrong number. But Dad was expecting his call to work, so he asked me who they wanted. “Oh, it was for someone named George,” I replied. Dad got really upset! That was his call, and if he didn’t work, he didn’t get paid. He was really, really, really upset with me.

How was I to know he was “George” at work, and “Elliott” to Mom and friends? That was the day I discovered a person can be called by their middle name, or some nickname not even related to an official name.

Fortunately, the dispatcher assumed because a child had answered that he dialed the wrong number, and he called back. And Dad took the call!

I often reflect on answering the phone that day. I have learned through the years that no matter what your name may be, it is important that God has it listed in his Book of Life. This naturally reminds me of a song we used to sing:

“There’s a new name written down in glory
And it’s mine, Oh yes, it’s mine”

Something you might want to journal

• Do you go by your first or second name?
• What is the meaning of your name, and what does that mean to you?
• Do you realize that God knows you by name? What does that mean to you?