Known by Name

"...I have called you by name; you are mine." Isaiah 43:1b

Imagine never knowing your birthday or being sure how old you are. It's hard to picture if you've grown up in a society that usually celebrates with parties, cakes, and gifts. Yet in Cambodia, many people have only a vague idea of when they were born.  To put it mildly, birthdays are not important here. 

Cambodians often feel unimportant or insignificant. They have never been told that they are cherished creations of God. We believe that all people should know how precious they are in God's eyes, starting with the people that we work with every day!  That's why we celebrate each IHSI staff member's birthday by spending time affirming and encouraging them: recognizing that they have dignity and value not just because of what they do, but because of who God made them. 

Before working at In His Steps, some of our staff never even had a birthday card or cake! For many, it seems strange that we would recognize the day of their birth as an important day. They are used to paying homage to the the Cambodian king (whose birthday is a national holiday), but we want them to know their worth as children of the King of Kings. He knows them each by name and calls them his own.

We love all of our staff and know that it is not by accident that they work at In His Steps. As God pours his love into each of them, he is preparing them to give that same love to others who have not yet received it!