More than once, people have complimented me on my ability to remember names. I have politely accepted the compliments and move on with my life. But, the honest truth is the praise is entirely undeserved. While there are pastors who have been endowed by the Creator with a preternatural ability to remember and recall names, I am not one of them. I make liberal use of various informal and familial terms such as brother, sister, friend, my guy, and the like in lieu of proper names. At other times, I utilize the formal sir or ma’am, because no one suspects respect as a sign you can’t remember their name. (Of course, if I’ve ever used such terms with you, it was because of our close relationship and out of deep respect, not because I couldn’t remember your name.) In fairness, I did ask for grace early in my tenure at FBC. I announced, “There are a few hundred of you and one of me, so please forgive me if I forget your name.”
She held the handshake much longer than I was comfortable with and stared straight into my soul. I couldn’t tell if she was being funny or serious.
One of our members decided she would assist me with my memory issues. Her name was Patricia Blevins. After I made my plea for mercy, she met me at the front of the sanctuary and as she shook my hand, she told me, “My name is Pat, P.A.T., Pat. Now don’t forget it!” She held the handshake much longer than I was comfortable with and stared straight into my soul. I couldn’t tell if she was being funny or serious. I was actually a little intimidated. Until, that is, a big grin crept across her face and she started laughing.
What’s really funny about that interaction is that it worked. I never forgot Pat’s name. Every Sunday, she would find me. She would shake my hand and ask me, “Now, what’s my name.” I would smile and say, “You are P.A.T., Pat!” In the better part of a decade serving as her pastor, I don’t know that I ever just referred to her as Pat. It was always P.A.T., Pat. Even my family remembers her as P.A.T., Pat! She is a person and a name that I will likely never forget.
What is so ironic about this oft repeated exchange is Pat was a humble, unassuming, and easy going woman. She was happy to just be part of the crowd or congregation. She was more than willing to serve in any way she could be useful. And, she was quite content to remain behind the scenes, doing tasks that often went unnoticed and almost never resulted in people knowing her name. While P.A.T., Pat created a humorous way to help me remember her name, there was ONE name that mattered more than any other; one name she wanted to make known. It was a name that she herself knew well and declared in both word and deed.
The Bible reveals that there is ONE name that should be remembered and repeated by all men and women. It is the name of Jesus.
The Bible reveals that there is ONE name that should be remembered and repeated by all men and women. It is the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:9-11 reads, “Therefore, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” It is through the power of this ONE name and His sacrificial grace that we can receive and share eternal life. In Acts 4:12, the Apostle Peter declares this truth: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
To my great embarrassment, I often struggle to remember names. But, I will always remember the name of P.A.T., Pat. And, more importantly, I will remember and declare the name of J.E.S.U.S., Jesus, the Lord and Savior we both love and serve. I hope and pray that you know, remember, and call upon His name too.
