"Little One"

In my prayer life recently, God has started to use the nickname "little one" for me. He keeps calling me "little one" or "my little one" every time He tells me something. Something He said to me recently that I thought was sweet was, "Be brave, little one." Now normally, I have never really liked nicknames for me of any kind. One, because I haven't liked any of the ways you could shorten my name, Robynn, to things such as "Robby, Rob, Bob, etc." Just as my parents, they're the only two who really call me anything other than "Robynn" with their nickname "Bobbi" or "Bobbin". Growing up, I always thought that any shorten version of my name sounded too boyish and ugly.

Also growing up, I've always been on the petit side in size and height. At this stage in my life where I'm as fully grown as I pretty much ever will be, I stand at an outstanding five feet and two inches (157 centimeters, for any of my European friends). That being said, I used to dislike being seen as "small" or "cute", which in my mind translated to "weak". So growing up, any cute pet nickname that had a "weak" connotation to it, I instantly disliked and very much preferred that no one call me that.

So, it has been interesting lately that God has taken to calling me His "little one." Now, I'm not going to say that I hate it. I now think that it is pretty cute and love that God and I are at the stage in our relationship where He gives me nicknames and I can shamelessly call Him "Papa". During my time on my DTS in Australia, God removed the lie from me that being seen as "small" or "cute" meant weak, and I've begun to believe in the beauty that God has created me with, both on the inside and outside. But I still tend not to like any nicknames given me, probably just out of 19 years of habit. So when God started calling me "little one", I asked Him if that meant anything other than just a cute nickname now that I don't particularly dislike them. And what He told me was interesting, and I learned a lot from it. And, as usual, I'm writing it down here just for processing sake and in the hopes that you too may gain a bit of knowledge from it.

God's nickname for me reminds me of how He has created me, and of a part of my identity in Him that I often try to push aside because I wouldn't think it "as important". It reminds me that He created me with a delicate gracefulness (as portrayed through my dancing. Ballet, none the less. But apparently not when I'm just casually walking down the street and suddenly become the clumsiest person ever. *shoulder shrug*). It reminds me that as much as I grow up and try to be fully independent on my own, that's not how a relationship with anyone works, especially Him. No matter how far I physically move from home, I will still and always be dependent on God and His grace for me. And His provision, Lordship, mercy, goodness, and faithfulness. I will never fully be a "free spirit" as my generation as so fondly taken to calling ourselves. We need people in our lives to support us; that's just a natural fact of human nature and how God actually created us: for community. With others and most importantly, with Him.

So, in conclusion I guess I've become God's "little one". Maybe because He sincerely likes calling me that, but more importantly I think, because I can learn from it always look to Him and never try to do this "missionary life" on my own. I'll always be His little girl dancing on His feet, looking up at Him with full love and always trusting His steps and guidance for my life.