I Was Here

My Boy sleeps on the edge of the top bunk and he lives reckless like Amy Winehouse before a stint in rehab. He was five when he had his first public art show. Not satisfied with paper or canvas, my Boy works with rocks and metal because he wants raw and fierce - like America’s Next Top Model makeovers. I nearly missed the entire live performance. But like any artist who’s worth their weight in marbles, my Boy signed his name to his art or at least he was two thirds of the way through his name when I noticed what he was doing.

He used his eagle eyes and feral tracking ability to find the sharpest rock before immortalizing himself on the shiny, black bumper of a brand new Mustang. Excellent. It makes a momma proud. Five hundred dollars later to have the scratches buffed out I was still perplexed that my Boy wanted to sign his name to the evidence of his crime spree. Stupidity notwithstanding, no matter what, we yearn to be significant; to prove we exist.

I am not any different than my Boy. I am striving for my own place in this world, for my own voice to be heard, to be significant. I want to say, “I was here and it meant something.” When I finally admit that’s what I want, I hear my old enemy (no, not wily coyote) in my head accusing me of selfish ambition and false humility. I agree. It would be easy to spend my life pursuing personal gain and significance based solely on how others valued me and for my own glory. To shut up the accusation reverberating in my head I must confirm through the Holy Spirit and his Word who I am and where my significance is found.

The promise to Abraham, of which we are heirs, had identity and significance built-in. In addition to legacy, we receive a great name and to be a blessing. God cares about our legacy, name, and reputation; therefore it isn’t wrong to also be concerned for these things. God planned it that way, not for us to lord it over others but so that our significance and identity would eventually bless the whole world.

The irony of the Kingdom of God is that whoever is last in the kingdom is first and if we want to gain our life, we must first lose it. If we want to claim, “I was here,” we must first find ourselves in the one who is called, “I am.” God, who is the Great I am, has always been and will be forever. Why should we settle for simply stating, “I was here,”? When we are found in Christ, we have eternal life, and we are called by his own name. “I was here,” becomes a moot point because “I am in Christ.” All of my identity and significance flows from this statement.

Do you agree, or do you have a different way of thinking? Please share in the comments.