Name Tags

My identity has been on my mind a bit today. I wear quite a few hats, don't you? From cook, to maid, to pharmacist, mommy, teacher, daycare provider, wife, friend, daughter, sister...to toy repair artist, account executive, homework checker, paper signer, check writer...to EMT, custodian, dry cleaner and laundry folder, dog lover, door opener, cup filler, butt wiper.... And those are the easy ones. The nice ones. The ones I would readily tell anyone, anytime, anywhere.

There are others though, more like self-assigned name tags. They're ones I'm less comfortable putting out there for the world to see, but they're equally real to me, and I probably hear their titles ringing in my ears more than the others.

Fatty.
Slob.
Failure.
Sinner.
Worthless.
Insignificant.

Ouch. It hurts my soul to even write those out in this bright screen, but I'm tired of them clanging around in my head like a set of cheap pots and pans! Now, they don't have as firm a residence in my heart as they used to. Praise the Lord, He is doing a work in me every day to remove these words from my vocabulary altogether. But they do still clash around now and then. Like when I overeat or make a bad food choice. Or when I fail my husband, my kids or a friend somehow. Or when I can't do all the things I've commited myself to, like one-too-many Bible studies at a time.

I make mistakes everyday and the enemy tries to bombard me with these labels, and tries to tear me down. He hasn't been as successful recently as he used to be because I'm learning who I really am...who I belong to and who defines me.

In Psalm 139: 13-16, David says to God, "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." I'll tell you, this bit of scripture is better to me than any piece of Godiva. Period. It's straight up delicious!

My pieces did not fall together; God KNIT me together with purpose. God did not put me together, and seeing who I would become, change His mind. He instead ordained my days! How can I insult the Creator by feeling insecure and insignificant, or like a failure? That's a waste of His time, His craftsmanship, and an insult to His character, His mercy and His love.

I am nothing less than exactly who HE made me to be. Making this a truth within me, that is rooted in the depths of my being, and thus permanently retiring the ugly titles I've given myself, is how others will also be able to see God's truth in me and make it their own. Not through my deeds ('cuz I can't do enough), my perfection ('cuz I'm not perfect), or the number of Beth Moore Bible studies I've done ('cuz she works way faster than I can)...but instead by the joy that grows from knowing I belong to God. God made me. God ordained me to be right here, right now, in this very spot of my rollercoaster-life.

I'm trading in my lies for truth. Shredding the old name tag, and making a new one. Thank you, Jesus!

The Bible tells us in 2Corinthians 1:22 that God has "set His seal of ownership on us." I can picture that seal, a name tag of sorts. I hope it's not as bulky as the ones we wear at BSF (seriously, whose idea is that?)...but, i can imagine God's seal on me, identifying me to my Precious Lord. My name tag used to say some things I'm not proud of, or it did in my mind atleast. Now, though, it says "child of God." For John 1:12 tells us, "yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."

What does your name tag say?