Daily Archive for February 06 2019
WHERE WAS I BORN?
Where was I born?
Mother wanted to visit us after we had been in the Great Northwest for about 5 years. She had never seen the mountains, so a trip to Mt. Rainier was in order. They had the “tubing” lane there and she wanted to watch the kids do that and cheer for them at the bottom of the run. We forgot to bring her proper footwear for the snow, but no matter, she was not staying in the car. Imagine the scene as mom wears her black flats up the hill. No socks, feet inside two plastic bags she found. A couple of teen-aged girls came up and wanted to know where she got the outfit. A serious compliment.
I ask mom how she felt so comfortable no matter who she was around, and no matter what situation she found herself to be in. She said, ” You have to really believe that Christ has given you your real identity, and not worry about what others think. You don’t want to be a prisoner in a cell you made for yourself do you?”
So the next place we go is to Port Angeles to take the ferry across to Victoria Island in Canada. She had never been out of the country so I told her the guard would ask a few questions; so don’t get nervous. Do you know what happens to someone when you tell them not to get nervous? Right.
“What is your name,” she answers that one with no problem. “Purpose of your visit?” Again, no problem. The guard had established the fact that she was with me, her son, to which she included non-essential information about how proud she was of her boy, etc. Then came the choke question. “Where were you born?”
She turned pale and turned right around to me and ask,
” Where was I born?” Now think about that a minute. I am 5th out of 6 kids. She was about 30 when I was born so how would I be the authority person to know this information? As a joke,( I hoped it would be received as a joke, ) I put my hands out so the guard could cuff me.
Mom caught on to none of this, but instead, grabbed the guards arm and began patting him saying she was sorry, but just could not remember! He put his head on the railing away from her so she could not see him laughing and with a hand waving behind him flagged us onward.
“So mom, what about that great statement you made about knowing who you are in Christ when we were on Mt. Rainier the other day, you seemed to know full well who you were that day, but today you don’t remember where you were born?”
I expected a clever retort, but I got this. ” I may not remember where I was born, but I know who made me, and that Christ is my Savior, and I know I will forever be with Him .”
” Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4.
Everything down here gets stripped away from us, but our life in Christ just starts to glow bright at that point. The New testament has a lot to say about your true identity in Jesus. At some point, you will have to choose to live in that identity, otherwise, your loss and sadness ,and the grief of this temporary life, will crush you.
Where are your treasures stored, here or eternity? What do you really depend on for your identity? 10 minutes into tomorrow will prove it once again. It will show your real identity.
I think you will be found true, but you will not be convinced of it without separating the wheat from the chaff once again. That work is never really done, but it an encouraging separation, and it brings increasing joy as you do it. Do you know who you are? JWP