I Am Who I Am

…just be yourself!

Writer’s block led me to find inspiration for this month’s article. I just didn’t know what to write so, I began to wander the halls to search for some kind of inspiration. I noticed as I walked through each floor of our residences, I saw how people decorated their entry ways. Each person’s front door reflected something unique about who they are, where they came from, their families, interests, even their love for their pets.  Then I heard a resident shout to another resident, “I am who I am!” That’s it! I thought. She has it right. She had the freedom to be herself just as many residents had the freedom to express themselves through the way they decorated their entryways.

If only we could live our lives that way.  Too often we live up to other people’s expectations on how we are to live our lives. But think of it, you are uniquely you. Each of us have different talents, different personalities, different histories. We each can confidently be who we are because of those differences.

Obviously if we were all heart surgeons, who would repair our cars? If we were all concert pianists, who would be the audience? Our unique giftings are from God, so we can support and encourage one another. So, think about being your “true self.”  Who you are, just as you are, with all your giftings and limitations. That’s who you should be, just you.  It’s a futile exercise to be anything different from who you are.

The Psalmist reminds us of our uniqueness. In Psalm 139 we read “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Never forget that you are created in the image of God and God loves you—even delights in you for who you are, as you are.

+ Written by Campus Pastor Lane Skoglund-Anderson

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