We all have an identity that is our very own. We share our identity with people via conversation, Facebook, twitter, blogs even; it’s the way we choose to describe ourselves. Of course this includes our physical appearance but we also identify ourselves by our age, our inhabitance, our employment status, and our likes and dislikes. Sometimes we identify ourselves with certain people (family or friends or fan-cies). There’s a problem with this, though: if even the slightest thing changes, we have on our hands an IDENTITY CRISIS!
For example, this is how I used to describe myself: Brunette, green eyes, 21 years old, student at George Fox, daughter and sister, 4 wonderful roommates, a writer, poodle-owner, lover of fashion, big patterns and color, music, dogs and stories. In a matter of a day, though, a large portion of this changed! I graduated from college in May and so I’m no longer a student and I lost my lovely roommates. I also became a sister-in-law, and oh yeah, I dyed my hair even darker! I still have the same interests but many times my tastes change: I’m starting to wear more black and white and cut down on the pattern and color in my wardrobe. My identity feels like it’s constantly changing as I’m trying to find a new way to describe myself. This could be from a new job I find or new friends I make now that I’m in a transition period of my life. And I think that more often than not, this is a feeling of recent graduates and individuals in their 20s.
When we find ourselves shaken by a change in circumstances and searching for what seems normal, there’s only one place we can go to find our constant identity. The one part of my identity that never changes is the fact that I am a child of my Creator, my Savior. And this is the most important piece of information that I could list in my bio. I need to remember that God will always be with me and that I can always turn to Him. Life is going to change and we’re going to change. We turn a year older every 12 months! But knowing who I belong to sure helps me not worry as much about how I’m going to fit into my new skin.
2 comments:
I completely understand. Thank you for writing down in words what I have often felt and continue to feel as an American living out-side of America and as a new wife and so many more "new"things. You have a gift with words and I'm excited to see how God uses this in your life and uses you to bless others.
Thanks Jennie; I appreciate that and I'm glad you could relate! I'm constantly thinking about and praying for you. New things for sure, but God's with you wherever you go. Love you!
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