Sunday Reflection

So - what do the following have in common?

Robert Frost,  the colour green, Princess Leia,  a popsicle, a swan, a dragon, Vermont,  a hot buttered roll.

They are all me - apparently. Don't you just love those silly quizzes that pop up on social media - "What kind of bird/mythical creature/food/US state/whatever -  are you?"  Secretly, I can never resist answering them. I guess we are all on some sort of journey to self-discovery - to find out who we really are. And it's important work - we have many choices to make as we go through this life, and the more we understand ourselves, the easier it is to make appropriate decisions - those that feel" right" inside.

But, fun though these quizzes are, they cannot tell us about our true nature, and they are another note in the endless online muzak - like, share, retweet. There are so many petitons, causes and challenges of one kind or another vying for our attention. As I type this, I have my facebook page open on another tab - during the last few  minutes of my timeline I am being asked to share a picture of Snoopy, if I am an organ donor, like a bizzarre video of a couple playing tug of war with nylon stockings over their heads, which has been viewed over 2 million times, and sign a Greenpeace petiton to save narwhals.

I don't routinely take part in these knee jerk reaction kind of things - remember the ice bucket challenge? I tend to use facebook to see what my friends and family are up to. In fact, I have just had a hilarious exchange with one of my daughters about panko breadcrumbs (don't ask), so I do appreciate the chance to connect. There is, however, one meme going about right now that has piqued my interest. The Bible Challenge. For seven days, participants are asked to share verses from scripture that are important to them. People take up this challenge in different ways - some simply quote the verse, others write mindfully about the reasons they have chosen this verse, other still write mini-sermons. It is interesting to see, and I like the idea of sharing God's Word in an accessible way. Who knows where the seed will fall?

So, I am going to take up this challenge - here on the blog (shared on facebook, of course). Over the next few Sundays, I will share a verse from the bible, and talk about why I have chosen it. Maybe by the end of this I might even find out who I am!

My first verse is from  the Old Testament  - Jeremiah 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations"

That is just an extraordinary, powerful verse, and gives me chills just reading it. God knew me before I was even born. Just wow. It makes me feel so loved - so unconditionally loved. Even though I have failed God in so many ways during my life, this verse reaffirms his love and brings me back to Him. I loved my own children before they were born. I was excited -  planning, hoping and dreaming what they might become. Once they arrived, well,  things didn't work out according to my plan, there have been challenges, adaptations and compromises, but I have always loved them. And so it is with God - He loves us, no matter what. He has wonderful plans for us, and though we might stray from His path, there is always a way back to Him. He doesn't need to see quiz results to know us  - He formed us before the world was made, and brought us here to the right place, at exactly the right time - He set us apart. This is Who I AM. What an awesome thought!

Feel free to join in with this if, and when you would like to. Leave a link in the comments below. Wishing you an awesome week. xxx