Identity.
When we visited my Uncle Bill long years ago, he had one or
two of those Magic Eye pictures on his wall. He delighted in watching our faces
as we struggled and strained to discern the hidden picture. He offered a few
tips. Let your eye relax. Imagine a point beyond the picture. Sheer relief when
the hidden image emerged, as I think we felt a bit foolish until we could pick
out the picture.
Being with young grandchildren a bit, I often wonder just
who these precious souls will grow into. God has given some hints with some
precious prayer times before their births, which makes it exciting to watch as
what he whispered is beginning to come out.
Flick loves all sorts of tales of fairy princesses, so we
have encountered the magic mirror of Snow White’s stepmother. Interesting that
her biggest concern was her appearance, and she demanded of the mirror to tell
the truth of who was the most beautiful in the kingdom.
Often, our own insecurity of our self-image is as shallow as
that.
But I’m thinking about Jesus, as a baby, as a toddler,
beginning to awaken to the truth of his identity. He didn’t look into a magic
mirror. He didn’t look into a Magic Eye picture.
He looked at Scripture. And the longer he looked at
Scripture, relaxing in his Father’s loving presence, the more clearly he saw
himself and understood his true identity and calling.
When we look long enough into our Bibles, we, too, see
ourselves and understand better our true identity. Children of the King. Loved.
Out of our understanding of our identity, our callings
emerge. Some callings are universal: to worship and love God, to share him with
others, to be filled with the Spirit and be transformed daily into the best
version of ourselves. Some callings are peculiar to us: to write, to speak, to
serve, to sing, to raise children.
May God help me to look long into Scripture, and then move
out in faith and confidence.
