Who Am I?

So often we ask ourselves "Who Am I?" The nature of who we are changes with each phase of life. Yet this life flows past us like a fallen stick down a swift river, moments so often gone before we fully appreciate them. Trying as we do to ignore this, it is a reality that haunts us and causes us to both look back to the times gone by and to our futures unknown. The world we live in continuously moves faster, evidenced well by the crumbling roads on which we all drive. It is easy to get caught up in this pace, pressing impatiently for the next phase, whatever that may be. At 38, I am starting to think more and more about the brevity of life and trying hard to slow down and 'smell the rose'. I want to enjoy and fully appreciate this gift of time God has given me.

Not too long ago, we moved into a new house in Aurora, Ohio. Last night, one of our neighbors stopped over to welcome us to the neighborhood with a plate of cookies. Her name was Esther and she looked to be in her 80's. Having lived on the street for 40+ years, She and her husband raised 3 boys in their house. Esther told us that her 3 boys had all moved out of town and that her husband had passed more than a few years ago. She was happy to see some activity across the street. Although she has been thinking about selling the house, she has not yet done so. If I took my guess, I would say that although she knows time is no longer a friend, the wonderful memories of family and friends on this road keep her staying put. Who is Esther now that the prime of life has passed her by? Hope and I want to find out by serving her as loving neighbors.

So often music stokes up our memories, and plays on our heart strings. Here is a song by The Samples that does this for me while also trying to answer the question, 'Who Am I?'. We all ask this question, and ultimately, it comes down to identity. Is your identity solely built around whatever phase of life you may be in? Or is your identity eternally planted in the permanent soil of Jesus?