“Often, it’s not about becoming a new person, but becoming the person you were meant to be, and already are, but don’t know how to be.”- Heath L. Buckmaster, Box of Hair
“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are- no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.”- Matthew 5:5 (The Message)
Matt Bays begins Chapter 12 (“Default Settings- Accepting Who You Are”) of Finding God in the Ruins with the assertion that our genetic makeup- our character traits- can be only slightly modified. Maybe our hardwiring does not need to be tempered with- that we are what we are for a reason.
Pastor Bays adds that change most definitely is a good thing. But checking everything on our “alternate settings” list can give us the kind of false hope that can be destructive. Matt believes the recurring twinge within us of past damage can become manageable. However, the deeper ache in our spirits won’t ever be completely torn out by the roots- and maybe that is okay.
Acknowledging the truth actually can set you free. You always will be you. This sometimes painful truth can be liberating, because you can finally stop chasing after the person you will never be. In order to move forward in this life or even survive, we must accept that “who we are at the core is exactly who we were always meant to be.” Thomas Merton believed the ordinary would find freedom- the ordinary would inherit the earth. As The Message paraphrases Matthew 5:5- “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are- no more, no less.”
Today’s question: Are you content with who you are- the person you were meant to be- at this present moment? Please share.
Coming Monday: the new Short Meditation, “Rainbow Days”
Tomorrow’s blog: “Your litmus test”
