I know the popular thing to do these days is to “find yourself”, and whatever you do, don’t “lose yourself” in a relationship…. oops.
Yeah, I have been with Joe since I was 16, so do I even know who I really am outside of this relationship? Would I walk away from this kind of love to try to find myself, because I just need more…. me? Truthfully, I would end up just looking for love somewhere else, right?
I saw this picture and thought, I’m surrounded by so much love that you can’t see me. But then I thought, if I am with this man who loves me and treasures me and wants the best for me, what better place is there to get lost?
This is where the sweet and faithful love of my husband, even while imperfect, has shown me how it is in relationship (with God and with others) that I find my identity. When I am first found and loved by someone else. I only wonder “Who am I?” when I am also asking, “Am I loved?” But when I know I’m completely loved, the question of who I am never even crosses my mind.
How much more satisfying is it when are found by the limitless and perfect love of our Father? When our identity is so wrapped up in being the one Jesus loves that we lose our self-consciousness and we are simply His. The search party is called off and we can fully love others as we are fully loved. (And bonus, we’re a whole lot less likely to lose ourselves in unhealthy or codependent relationships.)
If I’m looking for the real me, that is where I’ll find it. I don’t want to find myself. That’s a boring, fruitless search. As the old hymn says, let me hide myself in You. It’s when we hide in Him that we’re truly found.
Psalm 17:8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings.
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