What do you say when you are asked to introduce yourself with a couple of sentences? Do you first state your name and that you are a mom or dad of __# of kids? Do you say what you do for your career? What state you are from?
I find it interesting that the things we have achieved or the things we have been given – talents, family, etc. define who we are when we are asked to introduce ourselves.
Why do we feel these things are who we are or what has made us who we are?
A question I had to ask myself after Mass. I am a mom, an engineer, a Cajun, a Catholic, a sister, a daughter…. You get the drift. Another question I asked myself was, who am I if lost any of the things I define my identity by? Who am I then? Am I any less of who I was before I lost it?
My identity when I answer those questions is found in earthly roles or what the world may identify me as. What if my answer was a little different? What if my answer was defined by God? What would my answer look like then? Sure God put me in all these roles. He gave me the beautiful gift of 2 daughters so that I can be called mom. He gave me the talent to be an engineer. For some reason He thought I should be a crazy Cajun so I was born in Southern Louisiana and spent most of my childhood there. But is that my identity if God were to introduce me in a couple of sentences?
I would like to think that His answer would be quite different. Perhaps He would say that I am unique, kind, loving, beautiful, wise and most of all His daughter and friend that He loves and longs to companion with all the time.
Quite a different introduction!
I think God would identify me by my relationship with Him and the qualities that He Himself gave me. It is in this relationship and in these qualities that I was created for purpose.
As our priest clearly mentioned in his homily, our souls were created for God and it’s when we unite to God at the center that all things in our lives fall into place and we truly discover our purpose.
I’m sure most or all of you reading this has baked a cake or helped bake a cake. A cake is identified by the ingredients because it defines the flavor. Once you bake the cake you put icing and decorations on depending on the occasion. Our roles, talents, gifts and culture are like the decorations on the cake. They add flare to our true self – the self created by God and for God. Just as Father said in Mass, once we are united to God at the center, we discover our true identity and all the roles, gifts, talents, etc. in our lives fall into place to fulfill the purpose God created us for.
How about that?
God sees you not just as a mom, a dad, a sister, a brother, a teacher…. but He sees you first as a friend He longs to sit with that has all these beautiful unique characteristics to love and be loved.
What will you say next time you are asked to tell a little bit about who you are?
Will you answer with the ingredients or the decorations?
Categories: Faith, Identity in Christ
Women Who Walk By Faith 
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