Identity

As Christians our singular focus should be to help the people we come into contact with sense God's love stronger than before we met.  You might think this is not for you and that this is for the priest or the pastor to do but nothing could be further from the truth.  You may be unsure of God's love for you and others, but that is only because religion has distorted the view and opinion of God.  Religion kills, steals, and destroys relationships.  Religion stinks.

God is all about the relationship.  He deeply wants to grow in relationship with us and when we do grow in relationship with God, and also others, we will begin to see our true identity and His true nature as our loving Father.  We were as infants, kidnapped or lost from our true family and growing up never knowing, only sensing, that we belonged to Him.  We wanted to come to know Him but became confused and bound because of lies we accepted but never resolved with Him personally.  But then one day we heard something that gave us hope, finally seeing the lies as false, and we came to know the truth about God as our one true Father and His heart for relationship with us individually.  Our eyes and ears were opened to see and hear His love for us.  Our hearts and our lives were set free.

This is a true story.  A young eagle was found wounded in a national park.  Over nearly an entire years time the eaglet was nurtured back to sustainable health and strength.  The park rangers and veterinary team that helped bring life back to this now much larger eagle, took the bird out to a remote area within the park.  Upon releasing the eagle, instead of taking off and flying, it hopped over to an open path and just stood there in the sun.  The staff tried to shoo the eagle and make it take off flying but to no avail. This lasted for several hours until finally the eagle found refuge under a low growing bush.  The staff could only imagine what would happen at nightfall knowing the bird wouldn't likely make it through the night on the ground as many predators were present in the area.  Just before sunset another eagle appeared soaring high above a nearby bluff announcing his presence with a high-pitched screech. The hand nurtured eagle still under the bush, began to stir and then hopped out from underneath.  Another screech from the eagle high above caused this now healthy eagle to begin to hop around further and give out a fragile call while moving his head around with apparent excitement and purpose.  With one more screech, seemingly even before the eagle high above had finished, the former sickly eagle jumped and began to flap his wings and fly, climbing higher and higher with each stroke of his wings.  Within minutes the now healthy eagle was soaring as high with the other eagle.

We have been like the unhealthy eagle that needed encouragement and mending.  We were held captive, fragmented, and lost not knowing our true identity.  At some point in our lives someone came along out of nowhere, like the eagle soaring high above, calling out to encourage us, giving us words of Life.  Our hearts said a loud and resounding, "YES" and we were encouraged as we were reminded of our true identity as His children.

Today and hereafter, purpose to share words of Life reminding the bound, the lost, the fragmented and the healthy of their value to God and who they really are as His children.  (Romans 5:15-19)   :-))