Me, Myself and I

"It should not be hard work just to be yourself." ~Unknown

Wise Guy has lots of sayings posted up around his office. A few photos. Some cartoons, including a Calvin and Hobbes. There's a lot of wisdom in Calvin and Hobbes.

The other day I read this saying again, for probably the hundredth time:

"It should not be hard work just to be yourself."

Oh, yeah?

Says who?

There's a beautiful whisper of freedom in those 10 words.

And yet it's one of the most difficult things I've ever tried to be: myself.

Me got twisted up in mistakes I made. Mistakes other people made at the cost of me.

By the time I got around to asking the question, "Who am I?" I couldn't see the original, untarnished version of me.

I can tell you the Me I want to be.

I can tell you the Me I want you to think I am.

I can tell you the Me I wish I was.

But all of those versions of Me take a lot of effort.

I'd like to try the easier version of Me.

And I think that takes grace.

"It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ . . . he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone." Ephesians 1:11 (Msg)

Just Thinking Out Loud: I hope Wise Guy leaves that saying up for a long time. This Accidental Pharisee needs to be reminded that it shouldn't be such an effort to be myself. Effort = Doing.