MONDAY MEDITATION: Names for God (February 15)

I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer. My God is my rock—I take refuge in him!— he’s my shield, my salvation’s strength, my place of safety. – Psalm 19:1-2

How do you name the invisible?

When you look around at the immensity, complexity, incomprehensibility of the world and universe, how can you name the Wisdom behind it all?

The writer of the psalm reduced everything in terms of what that Wisdom did for him: “strength, rock, fortress, rescuer, shield, salvation’s strength, place of safety.”

Ultimately, that’s all we can do, isn’t it?

If you were to look back on your life, what marks has God left? How would those marks prompt you for new God-names?

For me, I’d tag God with:

Coincidence-Maker. Do I really think some things in my life just happened by chance? How disrespectful if I do.

Supremely Patient One. I’m glad God never said, “Well, I’m going to give up on Weeks after that one.”

Supremely Hopeful One. God never gives up trying to bring out the best in me, regardless.

Relentless Leader. Every so often there seems to be some new task or challenge calling for energy, resources, and commitment. God never eases up on the accelerator on behalf of justice and compassion.

Tireless playmate. If God didn’t want us to laugh and play, why is creation so beautiful and the frolicking of squirrels and the mating dances of the birds of paradise so funny?

Faithful whisperer. In the quietness of prayer, sometimes I hear a voice coming from centuries ago. “I am with you, don’t be afraid.”

EVERY one of us, looking back on our lives, can see God’s fingerprints. What name will you attach to the One who has touched your life?

Of course, Jesus came up with the simplest and best one of all.

“Abba.” Daddy.