Common Thread

My reunited college gang wandered around our old stomping grounds, reminiscing and marveling at the transformation after twenty years. Coffee shops in academic halls, familiar buildings torn down or restored, exciting new developments at every turn. (If only that awesome fitness plex had been there for us, we may have staved off the freshman 15! Or not.)

Yet with so much added and removed, the most impressive discovery of all was what remained. The warm, palpable spirit that initially drew me in was perfectly intact. Immovable. Whether we were celebrating 5, 20, or 50 years, there was no denying where we stood and what we stood for. Generations of alumni and students were connected in Christian love and an endless mission to “learn, lead, and serve.”

Looking back, my own sense of identity during my early college days was a far cry from this firm foundation. Plucked from the bubble of my childhood, I spent much of my first year away from home frantically seeking my place on campus and within my own skin. I wasn’t quite sure who I was or where I fit, and I was mistakenly looking at everyone else to find the answers. Eventually I began to appreciate a couple things: they did not have the answers and there is much to be found when we’re lost!

What I needed, and continue to need today, is that common thread to lead me through life’s twists and turns. A confidence that comes from the inside out and not vice versa. An identity that has nothing to do with circumstance.

At a recent youth group event at church, our youth director talked about this concept with our middle school kids (I could have used her during college!) She had them write down all of the words they would use to define themselves (student, friend, athlete, etc…) along with everything that brings them joy. She then gave them all the same graphic for the center of their paper which read, “I am a Child of God.” Their artwork and words were varied but right there at the core was that common thread binding them all together. And all of us!

Whenever we’re launched into a new role or a new place, wondering who we are or where we fit, we can trust that the love and acceptance of our Father will anchor us. No matter what, we will always belong… because we belong to Him.

XOXO

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!  1 John 3:1