Identity

I am linking up with The Gypsy Mama for Five Minute Fridays!

Five Minute Friday: Identity

On Fridays over here a group of people who love to throw caution to the wind and just write gather to share what five minutes buys them. Just five minutes. Unscripted. Unedited. Real.

Your words. This shared feast.

If you have five minutes, we have a writing challenge <—click to tweet this!

1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Please visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments.

OK, are you ready? Facebook chimed in last night and overwhelmingly voted for a prompt either about mothers or Mother’s Day. This was one of the suggestions and I love that it can apply to any and all, mother or not. So please give me your best five minutes on:

Identity

I am a nurse, a wife, now miraculously a mom. I am a daughter, sister, cousin, friend, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law. I blog. I like photography. I enjoy tapping into my not so creative side. My husband and I volunteer with college ministry.

Growing up, I always wanted to be that kind of person that who was know as "the girl who does/is x,y, or z." I wanted a specific identity. I didn't have one. I am not exceptionally talented in any one area, unless you consider my ability to fall asleep anywhere at anytime.

I am the kind of girl who is an odd mix of contradictions, extremes, blacks, whites, and grays.

Several life experiences have gotten me to where I am today. My identity is somewhat fluid, and I am  completely ok with that.

My identity in Christ is solid. I know I am exactly who He created me to be. Now, I don't always enjoy that individual, and often times wish He had bestowed a few more abilities/blessings my way. But I rest in the deep assuredness that I am exactly who He wants me to be.

My identity to the world around me has taken a while to form, longer then most I would suspect. My truly first defining moment came when I became a pediatric nurse. I never knew I could so compassionate, yet objective. Professional, yet personal. Scheduled, yet flexible. Follow the rules, but find ok ways to break them along the way. I was meant to be a nurse. And a darn good one.

Then I met a blue-eyed boy, who wooed me all the way the ol' East Tennessee. It was time to say good-bye to my dream job, in my dream location. On to find a new identity, just when I was getting so comfortable in my shoes.

I never thought I would be a wife, as I didn't think I would be a good one. And while I certainly am not a candidate for wife of the year, I do enjoy learning to be a better wife every day. And I was extremely surprised how easy the transition was for me.

Nearly a year ago, a third defining moment entered our life - a positive pregnancy test! Now I am mom.  I am still learning the type of mom I was made to be, and hope to continue to always learn. I won't be the world's greatest mom, but I am pretty sure my children will always know I love them! At least, that is my hope and prayer.

All that to say, here I am, reaching my 30th year (YIKES) and I am still learning my identity. As much as I like to plan things out, put things in neat little categories, I am so glad I wasn't the little girl everyone knew as this category or that. It kept some fluidity my life, while I tried to keep everything so regimented.

A final thought, Jared and I hear from other young couples all the time, "oh that is so awesome you work with college ministry... we are still really trying to find our identity as a couple. You know, like what ministry God has for us to be in."

Yes, we work in a college ministry. Guess what? We never know from semester to semester if it will be our last. Our identity isn't in that. As much as we will miss our college kids one day, I am sure at some point, we will move on to something else. But what we have learned during our time here will follow us forever. For example, I am sure we will always have a revolving front door, open to people of many ages.

If you are struggling to find your identity/ministry in your marriage, guess what, you found it - its in your marriage. There are few greater mission fields then in field of marriage. And you have to find your identity in Christ before you can be able to step out in whatever area He calls you to.

So, don't worry if you haven't found your identity yet. I haven't really either. And I kind of hope I am always searching for it....

P.S. Confession time, this definitely took a few minutes longer then five minutes!:) But my fingers wouldn't stop, so I kept typing. :)