Who am I?
I’m a woman, a mother, a wife, a friend. I am a writer, an organizer, a parishioner and a neighbor. My lineage is Mexican, Welsh and Scottish with ancestors who were soldiers and abolitionists and junkies and bookies. I look good in jewel tones and can carry a tune, but none of these are who I truly am.
I belong to Christ. My identity is in him.
As a child, my parents and my church instilled this identity in me. They told me that God chose me before the foundation of the world to love and to be holy (Ephesians 1). I knew I was sealed with the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus was. This marked me. This seal was a gentle touch from God saying, You are mine and I love you.
My life story has been one of learning to be loved by God.
When I accept his love, I want to love him back. I answer his call to holiness. When I walk in his light, I move deeper into his love, and it overflows to those around me.
This is the Gospel. The Truth. The Good News. I am free from those false identities that try to hijack who I am. The Father sees me through the glory of his Son. This is my identity.
I am a child of God.
Knowing exactly who I am has helped me navigate this world. When others have tried to tell me who I am based on lies or gossip or what I look like, I know it is not true. I stand firm in my identity in Christ when others wish I’d conform to their culture or way of thinking.
My husband and I try to instill this truth into our sons. We want them to know the security of knowing they are loved by God.
This has been particularly challenging in the past few months as they returned to society outside our home. Each day they came home visibly shaken from constant messages they received from teachers, other children and media. They were told how to play. They were told who they were based on what they looked like. They were told what they were probably thinking but didn’t realize it.
Each evening we reinforced that they were loved, safe, and who they were — children of God. We do not want them to be resentful. We do not want them to treat people the way they are treated. We do not want them to conform to the world around them.
We want them to see the image of God, the imprint of the Creator, in those around them.
We want them to know their life story is simply to let God love them.
This is your story too.
When we allow ourselves to be loved by God, the anxiety, fear and control the world is trying to impose will melt away.
Gender. Race. Politics. Sin. They fade away when we know we are loved by Christ.
This is the Gospel. The Truth. The Good News.
We are free. We are holy.
Do not forsake it. Do not believe another one.
This is our identity.
Northwest Catholic – September 2021