James 4:14
Why you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Don't Forget Who You Are
If your life were a book, how many chapters would there be and what would be the title of each chapter? Would anyone care to read the book? Would the book make any impact, or more importantly I guess, any sense to anyone? There would probably be a chapter on childhood years, teen years, and young adult years. For some, there would be a chapter or two on years spent in a career. For others, there would be chapters on years spent as spouses. Many would have chapters on years as parents and grandparents. Some books would be longer with chapters on older and older and hopefully older years.
No matter how many titles we acquire in this life, we all begin with one simple title defining who we are. We are someone's child, possibly someone's sister or brother from the beginning, but always someone's child. Some first-borns go on to become sisters or brothers later, some never and remain only someone's child. In that case, the title of only child is always held.
We become someone's playmate, classmate, friend, boyfriend, or girlfriend, Many become a fiance, then a wife or a husband. Many of these go on to become mothers, dads, grandpas, grandmas. great, and sometimes even great great. We are usually remembered by the next generation and possibly the next. Stories are passed on about us for awhile but are soon forgotten. We become distant memories and finally, only a name on a family tree people look upon and sometimes take the time to wonder what we were like and try to find out who we really were. There is a song.. Songs are important to me and do tell stories in a way simple words can never tell I suppose. There is one line I recall from the song titled simply Songs. We pass through each other's lives and fade into the past...You don't know who to believe in no one seems to last... And another song Seasons in the Sun is about chapters in someone's life... All our lives we have joy we have seasons in the sun, but the joy and the song like the seasons have all gone.
What titles are most important to us while we are here? I suppose that is up to each individual. What relationships here are most important to us while we are here?
I have been thinking a lot about relationships of late, who I really am I suppose. What is important? What is the most important? I remember going out the door as a teenager and my mother saying, "Don't forget who you are." Of course, the reminder didn't always help when I was trying to fit in. I think if I were to receive that warning message now as an adult it would have a greater impact on how I choose to live my life now than it did when I was a teenager.
My mother passed away last year and is no longer here to give me the message. Since she passed, I have felt a huge sense of loss as to who I am. The day she died I titled myself orphan. Later I realized that title would not always stick with me. When people see my name on a family tree someday, I will always be her child. By my name, there will always be one brother and two sisters who will also be thought of as her child. Therefore I guess I will always be remembered as a sister to someone, three people actually. On down the tree, I will be someone's spouse, someones' mother, someone's grandmother, and hopefully someone's great and even great great. Time will tell I suppose. All other friendships and relationships and titles I have here will not be listed.
I believe God took the time last week to give me a simple message that my mother isn't able to give me anymore. In a very special way, He said, "Don't forget who you are." While working Saturday there were visitors from the past. One customer asked was I Bobby's sister, ( my brother.) One asked was I Linda's sister (my oldest sister.) One asked was I Debbie's sister( my youngest sister.) This I came to the conclusion was not a coincidence, but God reminding me even though I am older now, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend to some I hope, even so, I also hold the title of sister that has been with me since I was born.
I guess I need to work on fulfilling that title, that role, those relationships in my life. I appreciate prayers as I attempt to restore, repair, rebuild and to some extent simply establish a relationship that God created long ago and intends for me to fulfill.
Also today I pass along this message to you all, "Don't forget who you are." Who are you? What title do you place more importance on? First and foremost always remember you are a child of God. After that pray, He always guides you and gently reminds who you are and what relationships are most important in your life. Take the time to enjoy all the seasons, all the chapters of your life. Enjoy all the people in your life. God has given each of them to you for a special reason, if only for a season.
jbp