Owen isn’t Owen anymore. Once he arrives at his new school, he’s determined to be Rocky. No more being called “Owen the Owl.” No more fourth-grade bullies picking on him for having glasses or being smart. Rocky will be his new-and-improved self.
I don’t know how things will turn out for Owen/Rocky and his reinvention; I’m only a few pages into the book he appears in.
But I get it.
Who of us hasn’t determined with the start of a new school or job or town or friendship to become something other?
We moved less than two weeks ago. But I was thinking long before that about who I wanted to be whenever we got to wherever we landed. Who do I want to be? Or more accurately, who or what do I want to be perceived as?
While I didn’t go as far as to plan a name change like Owen, I made other plans. Months ago I had determined I would be a thinner version of Carol. (Then COVID blew up those plans.)
I would no longer be someone who bit my nails. (Masks are making that true, at least in public!) I considered wearing more makeup or dressing more stylishly. (I am too attached to comfort to settle on that idea for long.) I would be quieter, sweeter . . .
Yeah, I’ve been saying that for 40+ years.
Still hasn’t happened.
That’s not who I am. And that’s as it should be. Because it’s not who God created me to be. He promises that he created me (and you!) beautifully.
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
Psalm 139:13–16
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.
God created each of us uniquely. We have different looks, different personalities, different giftedness for God’s kingdom. And the important thing to remember is:
He knew what he was doing!
So I’m going to keep on being me.
And whoever you are, be you. You’re just what the creator ordered!
People can choose not to like us for what we are and, let’s be honest, it hurts. But we can snuggle into the assurance that God adores us! We are his treasured possession, a person he designed with the exact characteristics he wanted us to have.
Let’s all live confidently as be-you-tiful reflections of our awesome creator!
Thank you so much for the reminder that we can only be whom God created us to be. We are all made in His-image!
Thanks, Keisha, for taking the time to comment! Yes, we reflect him!
Hi Carol,
Like you, I go for comfort more than style! I get almost all my clothes online from Blair or Haband online. They have very nice clothes in colors I love, sizes that fit me, and the comfortable style I like to wear. But, the most important thing to me about your blog is the Scripture. That was my late husband Malcolm’s favorite passage. He was born with birth defects in his heart and one ear, which he lived with for 55 years, until Jesus took him Home. When he was born, the doctor thought he would live 6 months or less. So this Scripture helped him to believe that God created him the way he was meant to be. He was an inspiration to so many people, including me, in those 55 years. He lived the 2 Great Commandments – Love God and Love People. Everyone who ever knew him loved him, because of his sweet Jesus spirit. And he was like me, a great hugger. That is what I miss most about the stupid Covid – no hugging – only air/virtual hugs.
Carolyn, thank you for sharing your husband’s story. What a blessing it was for you to have him in your life and to have such beautiful memories!
Good thoughts. So incredible He loves us just as we are. Hope your move went well.
Rose, thanks for hopping on! Yes, we are moved in, and we can function, but still lots of boxes to unpack and books to organize!
Love this, Carol! I hope you are comfortably settling in your new home that is be-you-tiful just like you!
Rochelle, “comfortably” might not be the best word, but we are able to eat, sleep, work and relax late in the evening when we collapse from unpacking and attempting to creatively organize and store things! We do still love the house, though, so thank you for all you did to get us here!