A Beautiful Name

        My name means “princess.” I like that! It also means “mother of all nations.” I’m not crazy about that. Too much responsibility! How ’bout we stick with the royal angle!

        When I was born, “Sarah” wasn’t popular. In fact, it ranked #138^th.

        A name that far down the list didn’t rate recognition—even on Romper Room*, a TV show I watched daily before I was old enough to go to actual school. Every day I sat patiently (or not so patiently), eyes glued on Miss I-Forgot-Her-Name’s face as she looked through her Magic Mirror and spoke those mesmerizing words:

“Romper, bomper, stomper, boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me do.

Magic mirror, tell me today. Did all my friends have fun at play?”

        Miss I-Forgot-Her-Name spied Lindas, Debbies, MaryAnns. etc. But Sarahs? Not once ever! My wounded little heart! Of course she wouldn’t call my name. I mean, one ranking #138 down the popularity list? No way.

        But my name wasn’t chosen for its popularity, which you’ve already gathered by now. I was, instead, named after one of my ancestors.

        Great-Grandmother Sarah descended from Pennsylvania Dutch folks who fled persecution in Germany—this group historically known as Palatine immigrants. Many of these hard-working families settled in the United States and farmed, for the most part. She descended from survivors and was one herself. After all, she and her husband buried four of their eight children within a very short time. I don’t know how she endured that—how she went on living. But she did.

       I think Great-Grandmother Sarah must’ve been and incredible woman. All I learned about her was from my mother who spoke lovingly of her grandma and shared warm memories of summers when she and her siblings spent time on the farm.

        Thus, I realized my rare name was selected with care, and I decided Sarah was a fine name. What an honor!

        But I was the one and only Sarah in school all thirteen years.

        In elementary school, when our teacher was absent, a substitute took her place. On those days we students were to place our handmade paper name placards on our desks to help the “temp.”

        One particular time, the substitute walked down the row where I sat, paused, and eyed my name placard. “Sarah,” she said matter-of-factly.

        Uh oh. What’d I do wrong now? Will I be sent to stand in the hallway? Will she smell my breath to see if I was chewing gum? Did she see me passing a note to my classmate?

        Nope. She addressed none of those things. Instead, she smiled and said, “Sarah. What a beautiful name!”

        I sat a little taller that day. And the next time I wrote my name atop the manilla lined paper, I took great care penning each letter.

        As an adult, this “princess” came to love her name—even though by now Sarah has made a comeback more than once. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, yes. I do own a crown. It just seemed fitting, and—hey—it only cost a buck at the dollar store!

***

       There’s a name that wasn’t chosen by either the man of the house or his betrothed. Instead, an angel told the betrothed mother-to-be that her son (yes, a simultaneous gender-reveal and naming announcement) would be named Jesus and come to bring salvation to His people. He could do that—save them from their sins.

        Jesus. “Salvation.” The Savior of the world, in every sense—including dying on a cross and rising from the dead—lived up to His Name. Fulfilled God’s divine plan to bring salvation to this lost world.

        Not only did the Baby’s gender reveal and naming take place simultaneously, but God’s purpose in His coming to earth as man was imparted to that mother as well. Then the Babe’s step-father, then shepherds, and the list goes on.

        Jesus! Not categorized on a popularity list. No. For Jesus is the Name above all names. What a beautiful name!

I Know of a Name

I Know Of A Name, A Beautiful Name - Christmas Hymn Lyrics & Music

I know of a Name, a beautiful Name, that unto a Babe was giv'n;
The stars glittered bright thru’out that glad night, & angels praised God in heaven.

Refrain: That beautiful Name, that beautiful Name, from sin has pow'r to free us!
That beautiful Name, that wonderful Name, that matchless Name is Jesus!

The One of that Name, my Savior became, my Savior of Calvary;
My sins nailed Him there, my burdens He bare, He suffered all this for me. [Refrain]

I love that blest Name, that wonderful Name, made higher than all in heav'n;
’Twas whispered, I know, in my heart long ago—to Jesus my life I’ve giv'n. [Refrain]

(a portion of the hymn, by Jean Perry, 1916, public domain)

#beautifulname #namemeaning #RomperRoom #greatgrandma #Palatine #Jesus #nameaboveallnames

*TV show for children, running from 1953 till 1994

Photo Credit: Romper Room teacher w/ magic mirror—ar.inspiredpencil.com, 1950’s classroom—br.pinterest.com, 

Mary w/ angel—freebibleimages.com, “Jesus”—ar.inspiredpencil.com