On Identity; On Weakness

Hello blog readers,

I recently drafted an email update for my supporters, and then I edited some of the paragraphs down. Here are those paragraphs, unedited:

My goodness, for those of you who are praying for my daily, on-going sanctification, God has heard your prayers! Ah, sanctification is good, but it's hard, and it won't be complete this side of Heaven. Since arriving in Puerto Rico, I've felt stripped of my identity. Mind you, before leaving I thought my identity was rooted in Christ, but it turns out I found my identity in lots of other things. When those things are taken away, the only identity I have is as daughter and heiress to the Most High King. Not a bad identity, but I still look for it elsewhere.

Cognitively I've known for a while now that God chooses and uses and loves "weak" people and blah, blah, blah. And maybe I've said that I was weak, but didn't really mean it. Or maybe I've pridefully said, "I'm special and strong, and God can use me." Well, I feel weak and humbled and like I don't have much to offer, and - praise God! - my God loves me, and, by his grace, he might use me here.

That's it. Not too much more than my email. Basically, I'm a mess, but I'm loved by my Father. What a sweet and important lesson to be reminded of in this very different context.