Ourselves

For the purpose of this post, I will admit to watching 'St. Trinians' when it was on TV the other night. I'll even acknowledge that it wasn't the first time nor, I imagine, will it be the last.

At one point during the film they decide to give the 'new girl'- Anabelle - a make-over and the next 5 or so minutes is taken up with a montage of several different 'styles' that this character is subjected to.

Emo. Chav. Posh Totty (their word, not mine). Geek. 'First Year' and Classic.

A whole range of different looks for the same person. A whole variety of different personalities and characters that she could become.

Yesterday I wrote that one of the top people I would most like to be is Cath Kidston. That is still true. But as I was typing and reflecting on what I had written, I wondered how many times the person I want to be is me. How many times do I pick myself?

Do I, like Anabelle, try out a range of different 'looks' and personalities, or am I happy with who I am?

I'd say my feelings change - some days I enjoy being myself and embrace it. Other times, I wish I was completely different. I wish I was someone else.

But God made each of us as unique individuals and He calls each of us to embrace who we are.

This is one of my favourite Bible verses. I have probably quoted it before and I am sure I will quote it again.

"So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvellously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't."

[Romans 12:6 MSG]

And I love these words from Dara Maclean's song 'Free' which I heard again earlier:

"The girl I tried so hard to be, has always been me."

When we long to be someone else, when we spend our time and our money and our energy on trying to be someone different, we deprive the world of something priceless: ourselves.

I started with a Saint and I shall end with a Saint.

Saint Irenaeus said,

"The glory of God is man fully alive."