The first few pages of the book jarred me. My soul felt the conviction.
Where do I find my daily Identity?
Like Tish Harrison Warren who wrote Liturgy of the Ordinary, I’m aware of my identity in the bigger narrative. I am God’s creation and image bearer. I am a follower of Christ. But she pushes for another title: Beloved.
Do I understand what that means? How does living as God’s Beloved inform how I live the ordinary moments of my life?
As I wake up, my mind races to the agenda of the day: checking social media and emails, getting my son off to school, substitute teaching, writing, posting, picking up son from school, shopping, meeting….But she reminds me. Have I invited God into my day?
It’s all too tempting to live by the clock. I strive to cram in all that must be done. Any interruption is met with anxiety. I thrive in order and checking items off my list. But, subtly,my identity has morphed into many; each of which depends on individual achievements.
How did I get here?
Harrison writes, “Examining my daily liturgy as a liturgy=as something that both shaped what I love and worship-allowed me to realize that my daily practices were malforming me, making me less alive, less human, less able to give and receive love throughout my day. Changing this ritual allowed me to form a new repetitive and contemplative habit that pointed me toward a different way of being-in-the-world.”
My days begin differently now. I begin by consecrating my days to my Creator and Sustainer. The one who calls me Beloved and reminds me that my identity is informed by “who” not “where.”
This post is written for the Five Minute Friday Writing Community. Come Join Us! https://fiveminutefriday.com/
Good words, Stephanie. Always need to be reminded of this, don’t we?
Profound and thoughtful post, Stephanie…and pointing the way to something better.
Our lives play out as scurrying motes,
our substance thrown abroad
in tweets and memes and pm’s and posts;
does God find all this odd?
He Himself is made for us
as we are made for Him,
but we board the distant-riding bus
as our worship time grows slim.
Does He feel sometimes forsaken
by those who call Him Dad?
Does He mourn the road we’ve taken
or does it make Him mad?
Do we glorify social media’s cheers
while ignoring His silent-falling tears?
It is easy for our activities, contacts, and schedules to begin to entangle our sense of ourselves and choke out who and Who’s we really are! Thank you for the reminder of where to go for the truth!
Loved that book so much!