Who I am...

"What, then, will this child be?"

Luke 1:66

"Then (Jesus) said to them, 'But who do you say that I am'"

Luke 9:20

The last couple of days' readings have been about identity. The first reading, today's Gospel about the birth of John the Baptist, has the neighbors buzzing about John's interesting birth, "What, then, will this child be?" In yesterday's Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples, "But who do you say that I am?" Take those two readings and mix in a country song:

"I am Rosemary's granddaughter, the spitting image of my father, and, when the day is done, my momma's still my biggest fan." (Brett James and Troy Verges, "Who I Am")

Welcome to my head! It's all about identity... who we are, who we think we are, who others say we are. Our identities can change as we grow and age, too. We begin as someone's daughter or son and somehow, through life, we change into someone's mother or father. It is all so apparent when we spend time with grown up children, as I just did this past weekend. We had a great time getting things for Sam's new apartment and, as she thanked me, I replied that I enjoyed every minute of it. In fact, I remembered doing the same thing with my mom as I got my first apartment on my own. So, who am I? First and foremost, I am a much-loved child of God. Then, I am Rosemary's daughter, the spitting image of my father, and Jeni, Blaine and Sam's momma. That's who I am. It's not hard to figure out and it is up to me to relish it. Love, heidi