Confession #40 - Don't you know who I think I am?

Today is my birthday!  Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday dear meeee, Happy Birthday to me.  Yay!  It's my day to celebrate all things me! 

Wow, now doesn't that seem conceited?  Speaking of conceited that reminds me of my 36th birthday...my friend Mindi wanted to treat me for dinner at Shula's Steak house.  If you're not familiar with Shula's it's an upscale chain restaurant owned by Don Shula the ex-Miami Dolphins coach. 



Picture not taken by me.

 This evening, we were acting like a bunch of goofy teen-agers and pretending that we were "star" watching.  The man sitting next to us resembled Anthony Edwards from ER so we began snapping pictures of him and asking him for his autograph.  Then we moved onto our waiter who we imagined looked like Julio Iglesias and then another person.  We weren't rude or making a scene and these people seemed to enjoy the attention.  Then in the back of the restaurant I looked and saw what I thought was another "famous" person.  So I said to Mindi, "Holy Cow, that's Danny Bonaduce!" I was rather excited to think this could be him and confessed that I had a crush on him back in the Partridge Family days.  So we're snapping pictures of this man when rather suddenly the waiter came over and said, "Ladies, you cannot take any more pictures."  "Okay", we said, "But why?"  The reply, "Because that is Danny Bonaduce, and he's getting very upset!"  OOPS!

As he left, he walked by our table and gave us such a look that if looks could kill we'd be dead and buried.  We laughed and made fun of the situation by joking, "Don't you know who I think I am?"  And then, sadly I'm ashamed to admit, we judged his lifestyle and his bad choices which, of course, became the topic of conversation for the remainder of the evening. 



Me, our waiter "Julio Iglesias",
Mindi and my sister Elena at Shula's

Remembering that birthday at Shula's got me thinking, "Don't you know who I think I am?".  I mean, just how inflated is my sense of importance?  Do I really deserve a day to be acknowledged, and recognized.  Does it really matter if someone says Happy Birthday or not?  And to that end, will the world come to an end if I don't participate in everything?  And what about the fact that I blog and people around the whole world have read it.  Does that bring me some sense of importance or value?   Funny who I may think I am and who I am to God are two very different things.  Actually they are about a thousand different things considering I believe different things about who I am everyday.  I've diagnosed myself with a "schizophrenic" self view.  One day I'm okay, feeling quite secure, and another I'm feeling like I'm alone and nobody likes me.  Some days I have a fear of rejection and other days I could care less.

Do you go through this too?  It's totally crazy, right?  I've heard stories of even the most famous and beautiful people feeling like they are nothing.  It's because without knowing God, we cannot possibly know just how much we are worth.  The only cure for a "schizophrenic" self view is to know who you are in Christ.  That's the only secure way to see yourself.

The reality is that no matter what you "think" of yourself your are nothing but dust.  When God formed Adam the bible says, "the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground (dirt) and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."  Genesis 2:7.  All people have since come from Adam and therefore we simply originated from dust.

Now on the surface that may seem like I'm telling you that we are nothing but dirty ol' creatures.  In Genesis 3:19 God says to Adam, "since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”  It is a simple biblical fact, but that is NOT how God sees us.  What He sees, is you, His child of immeasurable value. 

"'I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty." (2 Corinthians 6:17-18, NIV)

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1, NIV)

Bottom line is we are God's children whom He loves dearly, however to have an inflated sense of self is to deny God's deity.  God and only God is above all else and the world won't stop because we "think" we're too important if we're not around.  God giveth and he taketh away.  If we forget this we may cause Him to do just that. 

Let us celebrate the life God gave us, and the gift He gave us through His son, Jesus Christ, while never forgetting that we are just dust. 

"Don't you know who I think, I am?"  I'm Joanne, a dirty creature but by the grace of God I live and by his mercy I am forgiven, and by His strength I am whole, and by his provisions I am surviving.  He is All and I am, but a humble servant.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the life you have blessed me with.  Thank you that I can celebrate that today I was given a life on this earth to serve you dear Lord.  Thank you for all your grace and mercy in my dirty 'ol life and thank you for sending your son, Jesus to save me from eternal darkness.  And Merciful Lord, for my sisters-in-Christ who think they know who they are, let them remember who they are in you instead.  In Jesus' name I pray.  AMEN.