The name He knows

The ordeal of my name began in 1959 — long before computers and auto-correct.
My older sister was named Olive after our mother, and the next, Pearl, for our grandmother. I was the seventh and last child born. Noticing the pattern — Olive and Pearl, fruit names tucked into honorifics — I would be the cherry on top: Cherryl (pronounced Cherry-L).
Nonetheless, with a simple misspelling on the birth certificate, I became Cheryl.
Mom still pronounced it with the hard “ch” sound, like chew. But to Dad, I would always be Cherry-L — his caboose, the final addition to a family full of stories.
He decorated birthday cakes and signed cards with the double r as if reclaiming something lost. Mom would gently (or not-so-gently) correct teachers who softened it to a “sh.” Somewhere along the way, I learned to spell my name with two Rs everywhere except school.
It took me years to realize that my name, misspelled or not, carried more than family tradition. It was intentional and given in love. It became a stark reminder that our true identity is not defined by paper or pronunciation but by the One who knows us fully. My parents saw, loved, and claimed me. And even more, God sees me.
This same loving gaze of the Father also rests upon you — a gaze that sees you deeply, even in your wilderness moments. Like Hagar, who felt lost and alone yet called the Lord El Roi, “the One who sees me” (Genesis 16), you are fully known and deeply loved. Our world can feel like an endless wilderness, filled with whispers or shouts of labels like outcast, failure, victim, or broken. These names settle over us like shadows, shaping how we see our worth and future. Maybe you’ve heard some of these words in your story, softly spoken or harshly declared. But those names do not define who you truly are.
Worldly labels cannot hold power over us. Scripture calls us redeemed, forgiven, and more than conquerors through Christ who loves us (Romans 8:37). We are the children of God, chosen by Him. We are given new names that proclaim hope. God does not see us as our mistakes or our scars. He sees us through the lens of grace, calling us by names that reveal who we truly are in Him.
Our Heavenly Father takes joy in renaming His children according to His blessings. Abram became Abraham — “father of many nations.” Sarai became Sarah — “princess.” Jacob became Israel — “one who struggles with God.” Each new name marked a new identity and covenant with the Lord.
And one day, God promises to give us a new name when all is said and done. Scripture teaches He will hand us a white stone, and on it will be a name known only to the one who receives it (Revelation 2:17). It is not a name from our past or our pain. It is a name spoken by the One who sees and loves us completely. A name that reflects who we are in Him.
So, no matter what the world has called you — or even what you’ve called yourself — take heart. Your Heavenly Father is still writing your story.
And like Hagar, you can trust this: He is the God who sees you in the wilderness… and He already knows your true name.
“You will be called by a new name that the Lord himself will give you. You will be a majestic crown in the hand of the Lord, a royal turban in the hand of your God.” — Isaiah 62:2–3

Cheryl Mixon-Cruce is Pastor of Ochlockonee Bay United Methodist Church and Sopchoppy United Methodist Church.