“I’ve called your name”
Ruby Hill, Denver
WHERE: Ruby Hill Park, Denver
WHEN: Anytime—it feels so good to get above the city!
BLESSED SPOT: The green bench in front of the playground
Ruby Hill, Denver—bench in front of the playground facing the city
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine. When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you. When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down. When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end—Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That’s how much you mean to me! That’s how much I love you! I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.”
— Isaiah 43:1-4
I’ve called your name
If someone asked me which famous person would you love to meet—undoubtedly it would be Bob Goff. Not everyone knows him, but he is kind of a big deal. He has tackled some of the coolest stuff and biggest challenges in life—writing best selling books, speaking around the world, teaching at universities, hosting a podcast, running a retreat center, using his lawyering skills to fight injustices against children, opening schools and hospitals around the world—and living a life full of crazy capers and adventures. If I could be like one person it would be Bob. He is the epitome of joy, goofiness, spontaneity, and serious love. So, when the day came that an email addressed to me, came from Bob, I was beyond thrilled and my feathers were fully fluffed. I had written him an email about a dream I was pursuing and I hoped for his input. I thought it might be a long shot, but low and behold he wrote me back. What I was most struck by was his use of my first name. “Laurel…..” As if he knew me and we were old friends. A couple months later I took his online writing course, and on numerous occasions I would receive personal emails and FaceBook messages from him encouraging my writing pursuits—each one starting with “Laurel…”. He is one of the most accessible famous people I have ever heard of—he takes everyone’s phone calls, answers everyone’s emails, and I bet always uses their first names too. I realize I am one among thousands he has responded to—but the impact is the same. I felt known, I felt heard, I felt incredibly special that he would take the time to focus on me for a moment.
I think we all forget all too often what an accessible God we have. He keeps reaching out, writing to us, speaking to us, and hoping we will respond to him. He not only knows our first names, but he knows our nicknames, the names we call ourselves, our hearts, our minds, our spirits, our bodies, our desires, our sorrows, and our futures even before we were born. I think God calls our name in all sorts of creative ways—he just disguises it as an encouraging word coming from a stranger, a letter in the mail right when you needed it, a phone call just in the nick of time, that person who loaned you money before things fell apart, someone who recognized your character, or a chance meeting that changed the trajectory of your life. God is saying “it was me the whole time, I know you, I speak your language, I know your needs.”
“God won’t answer 100 percent of the prayers we don’t pray”
Earlier this year I was in Santa Fe and was headed out on a prayer walk—I had asked God to show up, to surprise me, to be with me, and to give me something specific to pray for. I had a wonderful walk, prayed about everything under the sun, but didn’t feel there was anything specific to focus on. I was longing for a surprise, a direct connection, I wanted to feel like God was with me speaking my name. As I was headed back to our casita and I stopped by one of my favorite little adobe church. As I was strolling around the grounds I saw a little crumpled piece of paper fluttering in the wind—I ignored it as it looked like something that missed the trash bin. Then I was poignantly struck to go back and pick it up. I unfolded it and read these words “Please pray for Malcom, he needs shelter.” It was one of those moments where you stop and just laugh and then cry. It might as well have said “Laurel, please pray for Malcom, he needs shelter.” God so specifically spoke to me about this gentleman Malcom—and what he needed. I don’t know who Malcom is, but boy have I prayed for him to find shelter. I still pray for Malcom. God answered my very direct prayer. God showed up, surprised me, gave me something specific to pray for—and I think he laughed and cried along with me. And, I hope Malcom found shelter!
In the book Draw the Circle, Mark Batterson writes “God won’t answer 100 percent of the prayers we don’t pray.” I am that person—I expect a lot without asking for anything and I am disappointed when things don’t just magically happen. The verse “Be anxious-about nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgivings, let your requests be made-known to God” has redirected me many times. “Prayer and petition” is about earnestly making your case, explaining why you want something, why you need an answer, or why you desperately need that miracle. This combination of prayer + petition + thanksgiving may help clarify your heart, refine your intentions, potentially shed light on a selfish pursuit, or reveal what is most important. God wants to know the intimate desires of our hearts, he wants us to be detailed, determined, and thankful for what has already come and what will be. God not only knows our first name, he knows us so well that he numbered the hairs on our head. That sounds like a boring task—but it underscores just how important we are and how every last detail about us has been noted.
Slowly read this passage:
“Don’t be afraid, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called your name. You’re mine.
When you’re in over your head, I’ll be there with you.
When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end—Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That’s how much you mean to me!
That’s how much I love you!
I’d sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.”
—Isaiah 43:1-4 (Message)
That is one powerful set of verses and promises. “I’ve called your name. You’re mine.” “I am your personal God.” “I’d sell the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.” What a beautiful love letter from a God that knows you and wants to have a deeply meaningful relationship with you.
As you sit here—what is that one thing that keeps coming up for you? Do you need his guidance, a miracle, a restored relationship, healing, to be surprised, forgiveness, direction, motivation, hope, to know him more, or confirmation it's time to take that risk? Put yourself in a prayerful and humble posture, blanket yourself in gratitude and petition your case—right now! No really—right now. As you pray—think about why you need this, what promises has God made to support your desire, how will this affect your life, how will it affect others, what outcome are you hoping for? Ask the specific and very direct prayer to the God that knows your name and knows how many hairs on your head (or used to have for some of you). Mark Batterson also wrote “Well-defined prayers give God an opportunity to display His power in new ways. Well-developed faith results in well-defined prayers, and well-defined prayers result in well-defined answers.”
God has already called you by name, he claimed you, and he would do anything for you—now it is up to you to just ask him.
Why this spot
Honestly, I felt like God just told me to go there. It was clear, it was him speaking directly to me. When I went to Ruby Hill, I just needed to get out and above it all. I have been feeling a bit confined, mired, weighted down, sad, worried, nervous, and just tired. I have a friend who is dealing with a devastating and life-threatening issue. It is so heavy for her, for her family, for her friends. It can feel impossible—but it is not. I believe in a God that performs miracles all the time, showers us with hope, whispers our name, and promises to be with us. Being up on the hill felt refreshing, felt good to get above everything and look down on the city below. To know that is how God is - that he is always looking down, noticing us, and protecting us—and, all the while he is right beside us as well. Go walk around the park, see the mountains, see the city, and realize all of that is in his control—all the time. Not a moment goes by that he doesn’t know your worry, your fear, your celebration, your secret desires, your pain, your anger, your desperate situation—and totally and completely understand it.
I walked around this bench 7 times praying:
That you would open your heart and mind to God—be vulnerable, be real, be honest, be genuine and see what comes next
That you realize God is speaking your name through the words you are reading
That you would feel recognized
That you would not feel lonely
That you would be blown away by one of his surprises
That you would believe in this God that knows your name, claimed you, and would trade the world for you!
That you would do that one next thing that God has been prompting you to do
That God would perform miracles in your life
For dramatic healing
Things you can do:
Write out Isaiah 43:1-4 - but put your name at the end of each sentence. I wrote it like this… “Don’t be afraid Laurel, I’ve redeemed you. I’ve called you by name Laurel. You’re mine Laurel….”
Remember God is bigger than C-19 and has something for you to learn from it
