again and Again and A-GAIN!

Our family was driving home from a visit with Bill’s dad. David, our toddler son was safely secured in his car seat for the eight hour drive.  He had recently learned the word “why”.  I can’t remember the actual figures, but for a half hour I counted the number of times he asked “why”.  Then I multiplied by sixteen.  You get the picture. 

Bill and I thought we would go crazy except for the fact that David was our son, our child and we loved him.  So we were patient and endured.

Isn’t that so like God?  I imagine God goes crazy with our why questions and all the other things He has to keep re-enforcing for us over and over and over again.  I am so glad that one of God’s characteristics is patience!

For me, the issue usually isn’t the why question.  But I too need to be reminded of God’s love for me and plan for me over and over.  So I review His love again and AGAIN and A-GAIN. 

I John is a good review place for me.  Chapter 3, translated in The Message Bible says, “What marvelous love the Father has extended to us!  Just Look at it – we’re called children of God!  That’s who we really are… that’s exactly who we are: children of God.”  I love this translation because I hear the excitement and the excitement is over my identity ~ my real identity.  I AM A CHILD OF GOD!!! 

It’s so easy for me to get confused about my identity.  As a wife, a mom, a gramma, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a cousin, a neighbor, a staff member of The Navigators, an independent consultant and leader with The Longaberger Company, and, and, and … I often have to check in with myself and remember that underneath and girding up all those other temporary identities is my primary identity ~ the beloved child of The Father.

Knowing this truth is good. J  But it is not enough. L  I need to trust this truth.  And I’m reminded of this every time I close my Bible and journal and continue with my day. 

Recently I was visiting with a friend.  I had my “Navigator” hat on.  In other words, I was in a ministry mode.  I had to be the spiritual one and impart some wonderful truth to her.  It was not going well.  We were polite with each other but also both of us were feeling a clash, an un-comfortable-ness.  This generic cameo has repeated itself many times over in my life.  What is going on???? 

I knew the truth of my identity but I was not trusting it.  I was trying to trust in a position or a role that I was filling, Navigator staff.  I should be able to minister, after all I’m a Navigator, was my theme. 

What I was forgetting in that moment was that when God adopted me as His child and gave me an identity, He wanted me to believe the truth of that identity.  My created identity has purpose and that purpose is not altered by the role I’m filling at the moment.

Later that day, my friend and I went out for coffee and a stroll through some new shops.  We had a delightful time.  The difference was me.  I was not trying to be someone, I was relaxing in and relying on the being God created me to be.  My identity was shining, not my role.  My guess is ministry was happening.  J

But I need to be reminded of my primary identity again and AGAIN and A-GAIN!  That’s why I review it almost daily.

“So we have come to know and to believe (rely on, NIV) the love God has for us…”

I John 4:16, ESV