The headline in the Chicago Tribune was poignant: "Living a Life Unknown." The subhead said, "Dozens of John, Jane Does turn up yearly at Illinois police stations and hospitals. Most are identified. These 5 weren't."

Despite all the efforts of social services and police, no one seems to know a woman who calls herself Seven. She says she is 71 and that she's gone by that name since 1976. She's been in state care since 2003 and has dementia. Even her smiling picture on the front page of a Chicago paper is not likely to help.

Some have names—Robert Rockefeller, Shannon Night—and others bear the last name of anonymity—Doe. But no one knows who they are.

Sometimes, though, an identity is discovered. A man they named Carlos has been a ward of the state since 1998, longer than any of the other John Does in Illinois. According to the Tribune, "He doesn't speak and likely had a stroke that caused brain damage. He uses a wheelchair and wears a medical helmet to prevent injuries. His only reaction to people is a wide smile and a giddy giggle."

Then on November 29, 2011, the staff at the care facility where Carlos lives discovered his identity and that that day was his 53rd birthday. According to the story, "That day, caretaker Azucena Herrera went to Carlos and uttered the name Crispin Mareno. The usually giggly man fell silent after hearing his real name for the first time in at least 13 years. Then tears ran down his cheek."

Possible Preaching Angle: People can live for years without hearing their real name, without discovering their real identity. But in Christ we find our true identity. We are adopted as children of the Father; we belong to him, and he calls us by our real name.