Monthly Archives: April 2016

Which Ladybug is a Boy?

1 of the 1,500 Ladybugs that came by postal carrier for our garden! My 9 year old grandson’s question was, “Which ones are the boys?”IMG_1603

Which ladybug is a boy? Not a question I had thought about, so I didn’t have an answer. Makes sense, though. Like him, most of us identify with others who are ‘more like us’ and we prefer hanging out with those who have commonalities. Whole cultures are built around being with others who are ‘like-minded’. Not necessarily a bad thing. But if we are to be life-givers, we need to move ourselves into a place where there are people who need what we have to give.

For me, getting out of my comfort zone, my mostly introverted character and my non-conflict desiring personality has been quite a journey the past few years. Intentionally doing so, ‘grows’ me in adventures that are awkward and uncomfortable and wonderful all at the same time.

My question would be: Where do we get our real identity? Is it from a career or accomplishment? Am I who I was ‘labeled’ as a child? Do I have value from the family I was born into or married into? These are things that can change. Sometimes quickly. What truly defines me as an individual?

Sometimes it’s letting go of the past first and turning to a new route of freedom. Sometimes it’s seeing by faith what isn’t real yet. The goal of knowing who we are is to live in the destiny God has for us.

Most humans go through tough stuff if they live in the real world, and some are more sensitive in how life affects them. I’m very uncomfortable with going down a path of introspection and trying to figure out why I feel this or that and attributing my actions to a past thing that wasn’t dealt with emotionally. It usually leads me to ‘nowhere good’. When we choose a path that goes towards the God of Light and Truth, we will experience freedom and worth. Our past, good or bad, doesn’t need to define us.

I recently heard a speaker who came out of a life of sex trafficking and has an amazing story of overcoming and moving forward to help others. It was the most raw and ugly story I’ve ever heard, yet her life had become one of incredible redemptive value in less than 5 years.  Point is, we’re definitely all different and if help is needed to overcome, get it, then move forward so you can become all that God has destined for you to be.

Letting go of our ‘stuff’ and embracing the identity that is God-given, gets us moving in a forward direction as an overcomer who is then useful for God’s kingdom. Useful to be able to see the needs of others and then open our hearts to be at least part of an answer for them.

For me, it was understanding that I was made ‘new’ in Christ, unique and wonderful (Psalm 139:14) and that in purposefully following Him, I am being transformed to His likeness and image. That’s who I really am. The daughter of an amazing King. A woman who can be courageous because her Abba (Daddy-God) is All-mighty and All-powerful. One who is creative because she has a World Creator-Designer as part of her spiritual DNA. A woman with kingdom authority because her Savior has the keys to the kingdom she is a part of. Whew!

As we begin to see ourselves as God sees us, we recognize that we are powerful and dependent at the same time, because of our God-birthed identity.

When we know Who we are and Whose we are, we can live with intention and purpose to bring transformation to our sphere of influence. We can change our world!

 

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