Who I am.......

At the Confirmation ceremony a couple of weeks ago, the Aux. Bishop gave a short homily, or should I say, sang a short homily? He sang "When people always ask me who I am, who I am, who I am....when people always ask me who I am, I tell them I'm a child of God!" Egad , I first thought, how hokey! But he eventually had the kids do it weakly, then fairly audibly. The sponsors joined in next and it was acceptable. But it was actually beautiful when the rest of the church joined in at the end. I was surprised because it was as if the rest of the church was waiting to, needing to, sing. Everyone was smiling afterwards.

The image of that homily stayed with me for quite a few weeks. And the Bishop was right, everytime doubts would invade my thinking, or prayer life, I would smile and say, "I tell them I'm a child of God."

The book I had read last spring, "So you don't want to go to church anymore' had quite a few things to say about fulfilling "people' expectations before you fulfill God's expectations. Actually easier than it sounds, because His "yoke is easy and His burden light' I don't think I have ever followed God's expectations and felt any regrets. The regrets and disillusions come when I follow the expectations that people set in front of me. Never really feel as fulfilled. And that should surprise me?

Am currently reading and praying with Isaiah 57. That passage has been a nice reflection about 'Who I am'. I am separating who others think I am, and their expectations of what I should be doing, from 'Who I am' in God's eyes and what I will do when I am enveloped with Him.