I remember the moment I first realized that I was not a freak of nature, but that God had created me the way I was, on purpose. It was a liberating thing to read about one’s self, identifying with the detailed description of my “makeup”. It set me on a journey. A journey to understand more about myself and other people.
As a new wife and a new teacher, I was reading all I could about learning styles. I came upon a book by Cynthia Tobias about the unique way people learn. The author was giving people “permission” to be who God had created them to be and to learn more about how “fearfully and wonderfully” God had made them, particularly in their minds.
Now, it has been some time since I have read and studied learning styles, personalities, and left versus right brain tendencies, but I have not forgotten the basics. I am being reminded as of late, just how incredible our Creator God is when it comes to the height of His creation, people.
So often, we take the information we learn about ourselves and others and assign labels - good and bad. Labels say, “I have checked this person out and have decided that this is the most significant thing about this person – no need to get to know him for yourself, it has already been done.” We all do it- giving labels to people. She is an addict. He is a bum. That child is a future felon. She is snooty. He is a genius. She is perfect. Those people are ignorant and simple minded. The labels have no end. Man even searches for “cures” to help those who have been labeled by society in a negative way. Take this pill. Take this course. Believe this mantra. Follow this person. Remake yourself.
God has labels too. His labeling machine has very different words however. Lost. Found. Sinner. Redeemed. Heavenly. Earthly. Faithful. Idolater. Sick. Healed. Empty. Abundant. These labels comfort me and discomfort me.
God has come throughout history to those who have been labeled and gives them a different label- His label. Scripture tells about the “erasing” that God’s labels do when He replaces the lies of this world with the truth. Just ask Gideon, David, Paul, Mary, Moses, Ruth, or Rahab. “The old is gone, the new has come.”
I couldn’t find where I fit in to this culture’s accepted lists in many areas of my life. In fact, it only got worse. I became more and more “unacceptable”. But as I find the culture increasingly scratching it’s head at me, I see more and more of the creative genius of my God.
I smile at how “crazy” my brain works sometimes. My mind randomly and abstractly processes information. It is a beautiful dance of color and passion. I can be having a serious conversation with someone and a song from my childhood will go dancing through my head and I will remember a story surrounding the song and share it in the conversation. Or, I will be making dinner and a quote from a book will come to my mind that I must find and read it before I can even concentrate on the rest of the meal. It all makes perfect sense to me.
Now, do not get me wrong, there is much to be said for self-control and dying to one’s self. These godly traits will always supersede my interesting brain J God has given us the ability to make choices that align with His will and His word. He brings order, clarity, and discipline into our lives. But, I find that He is teaching me that the way He has made me fits into His grand design for this world and its people.
He derives much glory from the way that He has knitted me together, even from the time I was in my mother’s womb. I am His creation, made in His image - these labels I will gladly wear! He is the potter, I am the clay. He will mold me according to His will, and it will be amazing.
So, as I grow older, and hopefully less foolish, I am trying to see people without any labels, except one. People – a unique creation of God in need of seeing themselves the way God sees them.
~Your Fellow Sojourner
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