Who am I? A question I'm familiar with. I was a small boy (now a small adult). I never really thought about it until I was a pre-teen. My image of a man was the Marlboro Man from the commercials. A tall handsome man on a horse smoking a cigarette. Not exactly a goal I could attain. With the hormones kicking in also came a mass of pimples. Needless to say, my self esteem was very low.
So, who am I, what could I possibly be. Weird is what I was as a teen. I remember sitting in the floor of a corner store with friends waiting for another friend to finish cleaning up just before the store closing. The cashier brought a friend of hers to introduce her to us. She named off the other guys and then she said "And this is a Robert Switzer". I look toward the woman. She had on high heels, A nice one piece dress, fancy glasses, and her hair was piled up on her head. She was tall, and I thought to myself, she's an Amazon, and that I wanted her. Not that I would have a chance. But I had forgot a prayer asking God to put someone in my life to love a couple of years earlier. My size, pimples, and age differences concerned her. She had been in a very abusive marriage and I was a different type of male than she had met. Five years later we were married. So for the next fifty years I knew who I was.
I'm now a widower with a daughter and her two autistic sons living with me. My who am I has changed to who am I in God? I have been leaning on God since my wife's death. A friend has led me to a wonderful men's Bible study group and their church. It has a fantastic pastor who was one of your students. I am learning a lot about myself and God. I now know that I am to be a Christian, trusting and serving God so much more than I use to.
I definitely resonate with seeing myself in the old nature. As i grow to see and accept that in the flesh āthere is no good thing in meā i am also growing in the joy of the times i partner with Him to walk in my Spirit enlivened new nature.
Who am i grows and changes almost daily as i interact with the Word, books i am learning from, people i interact with, time spent with Him, adjusting to my aging challenged bodyš
I feel more fluid and relaxed about pinning down that answer.
Asking the question āWho am Iā, is one that has always led me to disappointment. Iāve never been the who my mind thinks I am. I have only found satisfaction in replacing the āwhoā with a āwhatā. The question then becomes āWhat am Iā? All the shortcomings found in the who are replaced with the faith found in āwhatā God has created me to be. Trusting God to be āWhat I amā, a child of God. Viewing life through Godās lenses, even then a Camel can go through the eye of a needle!
What a fascinating addendum. I will have to think through this more myself. I do find the identity question in varying iterations essential for Christian living. Thanks friend :)
Love, and relate to this line, āIām not made for the world I wander in, and I feel it deeply.ā
It's real, friend. A constant pull.
Who am I? A question I'm familiar with. I was a small boy (now a small adult). I never really thought about it until I was a pre-teen. My image of a man was the Marlboro Man from the commercials. A tall handsome man on a horse smoking a cigarette. Not exactly a goal I could attain. With the hormones kicking in also came a mass of pimples. Needless to say, my self esteem was very low.
So, who am I, what could I possibly be. Weird is what I was as a teen. I remember sitting in the floor of a corner store with friends waiting for another friend to finish cleaning up just before the store closing. The cashier brought a friend of hers to introduce her to us. She named off the other guys and then she said "And this is a Robert Switzer". I look toward the woman. She had on high heels, A nice one piece dress, fancy glasses, and her hair was piled up on her head. She was tall, and I thought to myself, she's an Amazon, and that I wanted her. Not that I would have a chance. But I had forgot a prayer asking God to put someone in my life to love a couple of years earlier. My size, pimples, and age differences concerned her. She had been in a very abusive marriage and I was a different type of male than she had met. Five years later we were married. So for the next fifty years I knew who I was.
I'm now a widower with a daughter and her two autistic sons living with me. My who am I has changed to who am I in God? I have been leaning on God since my wife's death. A friend has led me to a wonderful men's Bible study group and their church. It has a fantastic pastor who was one of your students. I am learning a lot about myself and God. I now know that I am to be a Christian, trusting and serving God so much more than I use to.
I love this so much. Thank you so much for sharing and for being so vulnerable. It truly is a gift to me :)
Iāve not met you. Only watched you, listened to you and read your writings.
Shane, one in whom the Spirit of the Christ dwells; He is pleased with you.
I needed this comment today in a way that's hard for me to express. Thank you :)
I definitely resonate with seeing myself in the old nature. As i grow to see and accept that in the flesh āthere is no good thing in meā i am also growing in the joy of the times i partner with Him to walk in my Spirit enlivened new nature.
Who am i grows and changes almost daily as i interact with the Word, books i am learning from, people i interact with, time spent with Him, adjusting to my aging challenged bodyš
I feel more fluid and relaxed about pinning down that answer.
Yes! I love how the Word challenges us each day in unique ways. Thanks for this :)
Asking the question āWho am Iā, is one that has always led me to disappointment. Iāve never been the who my mind thinks I am. I have only found satisfaction in replacing the āwhoā with a āwhatā. The question then becomes āWhat am Iā? All the shortcomings found in the who are replaced with the faith found in āwhatā God has created me to be. Trusting God to be āWhat I amā, a child of God. Viewing life through Godās lenses, even then a Camel can go through the eye of a needle!
What a fascinating addendum. I will have to think through this more myself. I do find the identity question in varying iterations essential for Christian living. Thanks friend :)