photos by: JODIE BRIM CREATIVE
Is it just me, or are we walking among a sea of people who don’t know who they are or where they belong?
I honestly don’t recall a time folks struggled this intensely to find their place in the world.
WHAT HAPPENED?!
For starters, the shutdowns impacted folks in ways we still haven’t fully identified. Young people avoided face-to-face conversations BEFORE COVID. Tragically, months of separation solidified this digital preference, further weakening social interactions.
Even adults grew so accustomed to working from home that many employees threatened to quit if forced to return to the office…with people.
Ah, the people business…it’s a messy, complicated ordeal, isn’t it? You don’t know who to trust and who to avoid. It’s difficult to discern who gets you and who is out to get you. (WHEW!) How can you know your place in it all?
Let’s talk zebras. Stay with me. I promise we’re going somewhere.
How in the world do zebras establish what sets them apart from others? They all look alike! How do they figure out where they belong and to whom they belong?
Did you know that every zebra is uniquely different? Yes! God made their stripes as one-of-a-kind as our fingerprints! But, just like we don’t discern our fingerprint distinctions by casual observance, zebras cannot readily recognize variations in their stripes, either. Consequently, they remain extremely unsure of themselves, UNLESS…
…get this. At a baby zebra’s birth, the mama takes her newborn to a secluded place for the first few days. Before exposing the foal to other zebras, this mama ensures that her little one becomes unquestionably familiar with her stripes. It’s imperative that this baby never gets confused about where and to whom it belongs. The mama also imprints upon her newborn the exact texture of her voice, even her distinctive scent.
Once this baby zebra knows with certainty to whom it belongs, it is empowered to walk among masses of zebras without any confusion or hesitation whatsoever. That time alone with the one who gave it life ensures it will never mistake another zebra for its mother or another herd for its herd.
In a world struggling to find belonging, Jesus invites us to step out of life’s traffic with Him each new day. As we do, The One who knows us best and loves us most reminds us to Whom we belong. We recognize His voice, and we absorb His heart in all matters. From this knowledge, we realize where we fit and find our truest sense of self.
I surely don’t get it all right, but I am wise enough to know that those moments with Jesus, each new morning, bring clarity and contentment. I don’t wander into life’s traffic to find myself. I know who I am when I get there. It determines how I engage others. I know to whom I belong, so I never feel lost. In fact, from this knowledge, I get to help others find their truest selves, too!
God made you all by Himself. He made you uniquely for Himself. You don’t need to follow the crowd to discover where you fit. Instead of finding your true identity there, you’ll just start looking like everyone else.
Get away with Jesus, then walk assured of who you are and where you belong in this world!
“When the rain fell, when the floods came
When the wind blew, I was ok
‘Cause You were right there, You’re in every step I take
When the night falls, when my heart aches
If I stumble, I will not break
You’ll be right there, You’re in every step I take.”
You are with me
Father You’re for me
Fear will never conquer me
‘Cause I belong to Jesus
I’m never alone
I’m never abandoned
Fear you’ll never conquer me
I BELONG TO JESUS!”
(Bethel Music. “I Belong to Jesus.” Homecoming, Bethel Music, 2021)
For comments or prayer, please contact Dr. Lanier at HopeCommunityChurch.tv.
