The Power of Knowing a Name

My wife and I have been renting the first season of "The Middle."  It is a TV comedy that follows the Heck family, a middle class family living...well life.  You get insight into their marriage, having kids/teens and the struggles of middle to lower class families.  A recent episode had the 7th grade daughter, Sue Heck, being taken to youth group at their church for the first time.  Sue remarks that "don't losers and geeks go to youth group?"  Let's just say she isn't that thrilled and her brother, Axel, gives her the advice that she just needs to "wait it out as mom will get tired of taking her."  

Sue goes and she ends up meeting the youth pastor: Rev. Tim Tom (short for Timothy Thomas).   He does what ever youth pastor does by singing a song about how tough it is being a teen( note my sarcasm).  Actually he launches into several songs about being a teen is hard.  For reference watch this youtube clip: REV. Tim Tom

Though he is funny and Sue (primarily at the beginning) has probably a touch of a crush on him, she says something interesting in the show that has provoked me to write a blog about it.  After learning that Rev. Tim Tom is leaving (first because the church refinished the pews and couldn't pay for his salary then because he knows of some troubled youth in Dayton, OH) Sue is distraught and upset.  She says that she is upset by him leaving because "He gets me!"  But what does she mean by this?  She gives us what "getting her" really is: the fact that he knows her name.
 Throughout the first season, Sue is the person who can't seem to achieve anything.  She tries out for al most every club and sport and never gets in.  She isn't an athlete, and she isn't a scholar, therefore she is thrusted into the oddball category.   None of her teachers even know she exists in their classes and she struggles to find her place.  What matters most to Sue is that Rev. Tim Tom knows her name and that means something.  From here whatever Tim says she absorbs, whatever song he sings, she is listening because she knows that he cares enough to know her name!

Something can be said about this.  As a full time youth pastor for almost seven years I can tell you that knowing a kids name makes a difference.  I love to go out of my way to know the name of the kid in the corner not talking or really any kid for that matter.  I might not always get a kids name right or always remember it, but I certainly try.  Once I have their name I make sure to call it out when I see them.  I also try to remember something they enjoy or is unique to them.  I do this so they know that I am listening to them and that I care about them.

Though I can play guitar about as good as a 2 year old banging on piano keys, I have come to know the importance of knowing a kids name.  It can be a simple yet powerful tool to drawing closer to kids, developing relationships with them so that we can draw them closer to Christ.

Be Blessed