When I thought about what I wanted my reflection for the ‘Tree of Memories’ to be — four words kept flooding my mind. Those four words were “He Knows My Name.” Then my mind went to the Song by Tommy Walker – “He Knows My Name!”
The first verse of the Song says:
I have a Maker
He formed my heart
Before even time began
My life was in His hand.
With those words of the first verse flooding the mind, my mind went to David, in Psalm 139:13: “You created my inmost being, You knit me together in my Mother’s womb, God knew me in my mother’s womb.” How awesome is that!
Then we have the Chorus to the Song:
He knows my Name
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears me when I call.
Then I hear David in my mind, from Psalm 139: 2-5
“God knows me when I sit and rise
God perceives my thoughts
God discerns my going out and lying down
God is familiar with all my ways
Before a word is on my tongue, you know completely, O Lord.
God hems me in – behind and before
God lays His hand upon me.”
That’s my God. He knows me, He knows you. Scripture proves it many times over.
Then we have verse two of the Song:
I have a Father
He calls me His own
He’ll never leave me
No matter where I go.
Psalm 100:3 “Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.”
God sent Jesus into this world to become our Saviour but He had Jesus take on the responsibility as our Shepherd. We are God’s flock, we are God’s Children.
John 10:3 “He (the Shepherd) calls His own sheep by name.”
I have discovered a Shepherd would know each of his sheep by Name. If I were to look at a flock of sheep I would see just that, a flock of sheep. But the Shepherd would see them differently. A Shepherd can distinguish between sheep. He sees them as individuals even though they are a flock. Each face is different. A Shepherd can say:
That sheep with the thick white wool, that is Peter.
The one with one ear sticking up, that is Sammy.
The one with the black patch over his eye, that is Herb.
The one with short hair is Phoebe.
The one with long hair and is quiet, that is Myrtle.
To the Shepherd every face is a story. To the Shepherd every face is a child. Every child has a Name.
It is no different when it comes to our Shepherd Jesus, God’s Son who came as a Babe in Bethlehem. Jesus, the Good Shepherd can distinguish between us, His sheep. Each Name on the Stars are individuals to Him. Each Person in this Room are individuals to Him. Each face is different. You and I may not know some of the Names written on the Stars or not know some people who are here today but Jesus does. To the Good Shepherd every face has a story. To the Good Shepherd every Child has a Name and we are told in Isaiah 49:16, something amazing: “I have engraved you on the palm of my hands.” The Greatest One in the Universe has written His Children’s Name on His hands. Those on the STARS and each of us here today.
Each ‘Tree of Memories’ STAR has a NAME engraved upon it. We may not know them but God and Jesus does. He knows if it is a person who has died and some wanted to honour them. He knows if it is a person who did a kind act for someone and they wanted to honour them. He knows if it is a person who a loved one just wanted to appreciate.
We are going to have a prayer of ‘Dedication of the Stars’ but before that I want to conclude with the last verse of Tommy Walker’s Song “He Knows My Name”.
He knows Your Name
He knows your every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And He hears you when you call.
by Major Marie Hollett
Director of Spiritual & Religious Care
CCLI#394966