Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. - Isaiah 43:1
“It’s just one word, but everything changes when they hear it as they come through the door.”
My close friend runs a weekly toddler group, intended to give mums and dads a safe place of care and support where they can share their stories and struggles. Crucially, she’s discovered the difference it makes to greet each individual with a very special word: their name. “Nervousness gives way to surprise and joy when they realise I know them,” she explained to me.
Calling them by their name is an essential first step in showing these parents and children that they are welcome and safe. And this was also how God chose to reassure His own people...