I don’t know about the rest of you, but lately I am going through some serious identity crisis issues! It really boils down to my life changing from being able to live doing anything I put my mind to, to a life of hardly being able to do anything. There’s a big difference between being born with some disabilities and having them occur later in life.
Within the course of my life, I have accomplished most anything I put my mind to. Let’s look at the list: President’s Physical Fitness Award, Beta Club, Honor Roll, 1st chair 1st clarinet in band, majorette, A.S. in Computer Programming, B.S. in Biology/Chemistry with a 3.924 GPA, worked in accounting, legal secretary, owned a bookkeeping business, traveled playing piano, recorded CDs, music director for Annie in theater, EMT, even a blackjack dealer! The list actually goes longer if I look at smaller stuff. Not to mention mother and wife and now Grandma. Hmmm, with this list one would kinda wonder how someone could feel insecure and lost.
I lost my capability to do most everything overnight. I am finding it hard to be content with “just being.” Since I have played the piano since the age of five, my self-esteem has always relied on my accomplishments. I have always had a lust for life and living it to its fullest ~ now to find myself spending most of my time sitting watching life go by and not being able to “live” as I once knew life. It can leave one feeling dead while they’re alive.
I think everyone has had this empty feeling to one degree or another. It’s not something that you have to have disabilities to relate to. The feeling of just merely existing. Why does this happen? What causes this? How do we conquer this feeling? Oh yeah ~ like there’s a simple answer to these questions!
One thing we all tend to do is to allow our identity to be what our job is, what car we drive, the income we make, our abilities, etc. And yet, it’s ignorant for us to continually think this way as Christians.
One thing I am learning is just how useless I really am. This blanket statement is really for everyone, though ~ without God we ARE useless. As Christians, our identity is being children of God; our abilities and everything else are gifts. So, why do we allow ourselves to get hung up in everything else? We’re human.
We’re all Peter.
Think back to when he was walking on the water. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, he was fine. Once he took his eyes off Jesus, he started sinking. That’s basically the answer to all questions in my opinion.
In closing, I would like to remind you to keep your eyes on Jesus. If you start feeling bad about your life, your accomplishments, etc., just remember ~ Jesus, the Son of God, came down in human form and was a true humble servant. Should we think we should be more than that? When we get to the core of our lives, we are not here for us; it is not all about us ~ we are here for Him and His purpose.
This is DeVaughn ~ bringing it home.
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