Last week when Hope and I picked her up from school, Rhema had something new to show us.
“Rhema. What’s your sister’s name?” Her teacher asked her.
“Ho. Hope!” Rhema said happily.
Close your eyes. Can you see us? Our big fat grins, our cheers, our hearts soaring?
All weekend, on the hour, Hope’s been asking her:
“Rhema. What’s your sister’s name?”
“Ho. Hope!”
Hope loves hearing her say her name.
To add a little variety I suggested we ask Rhema the other questions she’s learned to answer: How old are you? (Eight, eight). Where do you live? (She tackles the 3-syllable name by turning it into a 2 syllable name, and it’s the sweetest sound). And…
“Rhema. What’s your name?”
“Ho. Hope!”
“Rhema. What’s your name?”
“Ho. Hope!”
Er… uh oh.
“That’s your sister’s name. What’s your name, Rhema?”
“Ho. Hope!”
I looked at Hope. She looked at me. She giggled.
“Rhema, ha ha! I’m Hope. Your Rhema. What’s your name, not my name, what’s your name?”
“Ho. Hope!”
And so it went.
Funny crazy conversations in my house.
“She’ll get it,” B said.
“She’ll get it,” Hope said.
“She’ll get it,” I said.
.
“…I’d never forget you—never.
Look, I’ve written your names on the palms of my hands.”
~Isaiah 49:16, The Message.
“…I have called you by your name. You are mine.”
~Isaiah 43:1
She’ll get it, soon.
I still love it that the important name in her life right now is Hope.
The rest will come.
Hope; what a perfect name!
Sweet post, I think it is so lovely that you can hear Rhema’s voice no matter what she says.
Yes she will. My son will now answer if we point at each of us and say “who’s that?” but he won’t YET respond (for eg) to “what’s your brothers name?” Doesn’t matter. They will get to where they are meant to get to. Until then, we laugh and celebrate the progress.
i love the confidence and assurance in all of your, “she’ll get it’s” and the patience to wait until she gets it;)
She WILL get it. She will. Hope is the first part.