What is a distinct quirk about you that very few people know about? Something that only those who’ve lived with you or known at some of your most vulnerable moments might be aware of?
For me, some quirks that come to mind are that I can’t stand the sound of metal scraping against teeth, so my family knows they can’t bite down on silverware when we eat together. Or that I really dislike mayonnaise, except for when I’m dipping artichokes in a little dish of it. Or that I tend to be oblivious to what’s going on around me, but I can almost always tell you if the person I just met had a wedding ring on or not.
These are fairly inconsequential, but are still little tidbits that make me, uniquely me. What is significant is to consider all of the billions of people to have walked this earth, each with their own distinct traits and quirks, that all flow from the limitless mind of our Creator. I love the thought that each precious being that God has created represents a new and special facet of who God is. From the very moment of humankind’s existence, it’s been clear that we are made in the image of God.
Genesis 1:27
“So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them”
But celebrating who I am and how I was made has been a difficult idea to fully grasp.
I’ve been on a decade-long journey of transforming my perspective about how I view myself and how God views me. I grew up with the understanding that I was to make myself as small as possible, to allow God enough room to fully consume me. While I still believe we are to invite God to dwell within us, abiding in God as God abides in us, I wonder how much that actually requires us to diminish ourselves.
If we are made in God’s image, and creation reflects God’s glory, are we robbing ourselves and one another of a fuller understanding of God when we disregard ourselves? If we fixate on making our body, thoughts, feelings, perspectives, hopes, or joys less, are we obscuring a picture of God that might be made visible through us?
While this question is held in the nuanced balance of avoiding pride and self-reliance, how do we also recognize ourselves as an intentional masterpiece designed by the Creator?
I wonder if curiously listening to my ambitions or gently inviting my recurring fears might reveal something about what God has wired me for? Perhaps my own longings or hangups may tell me more about what matters to God’s heart too? This isn’t a blind or selfish pursuit of “my way or the highway,” but rather not being afraid to acknowledge that God created me, and you, and us, and saw that it was Good. Can I have the courage to look within and perhaps find goodness too?
I’m not interested in walking this journey on my own, or trying to find my own way, because I understand where that leads. But I’m certainly intrigued by the idea of what this journey can look like if God and I are walking it hand in hand, with me bringing my full self to this path. By holding onto our whole selves, as God’s created beings, I suspect we may discover new and beautiful aspects of God. May we have the courage to let God guide us as we look within, and the courage to share what we’ve found with those alongside us.
About the Author
Britni is a quiet but fearless spirit who is earnestly seeking the beauty of the redemption that Jesus has personally determined for her life. Committed to the truth that listening breeds understanding and understanding results in compassion, she clings to the power of life’s stories. She has embarked on the venture of discovering her own story and lending an ear to the stories lived out in others and savors the trace of Jesus that is woven throughout them all. Currently, that journey has landed her in a balancing act between the role of wife, momma, and a mental health Care Coordinator.