~ Who we are is who are we

How often do we think that we know all about ourselves, only to find that there are any number of us? The us, that we know is invariably in a minority of one. Almost anyone who knows us can almost involuntarily point to a largely different version to that which we would prefer.
This is a condition common to all people of the world. It is not a deliberate deception, even self deception, we are born blindsided. Not only that, but perception is a very relational and even situational thing, even seasonal thing. The day we are born we are our parents “most beautiful child”. However by the time we reach the age of say two we enter stage commonly called the “Terrible Twos” and most parents will try to deny it but we become almost the spawn of the devil, figuratively. While yet ten years later we are on the verge of entering the “great adventure” called the teenage years and our loving parents will refer to us as “that child”, privately.
Oh, in case you have forgotten, or are yet to arrive there after another ten or so years you will invariably discover the “know-nothing parents” who fed you through your teenager years will suddenly start to become the fount of all knowledge.
Just in case you think this is about a generational conflict, it is much more than that, the hero big brother of childhood will become the sisters’ interfering brother when he turns up on a date. People change, just as we do, and the perception of you in one situation will be different, depending upon who is looking and how we respond.
There is one perception that will never change. In the creation narrative mankind is God’s special creation, not called into existence, as were the animals, but crafted by His Hands and then breathed into life. God says that He knows us from before we are conceived (Psalm 139) and Nicodemus is told that God so loved us he sent His Son to redeem us.
While claiming that His attitude will not change toward us that is not to say that everything is now right between us and God. Man and Woman were created to live in relationship with God, mankind made a disobedient decision and as a result of that were excluded from the relationship they were intended to occupy by the consequence of their disobedience.
That wasn’t the end of the story however. The reason that Christ Jesus, God’s son has central place in history is that He is central to God’s History. He came to live amongst us as “God with us” and as “Saviour” the direct translation of His names to restore the relationship between God and you and I. He didn’t come to provide a “cop out” clause for all mankind but that individually we could consider our particular disobedience and return with an apology acceptance of what God did for us to restore us to that original relationship. We, you and I, have blown it and we are the ones who must change to enjoy God’s presence in our life.
We also bear a responsibility which is to spread the word. It doesn’t matter how “good” we have been, each of us have been disobedient to God and when we are come into relationship with Jesus then we have friends acquaintances and family who may still need to be introduced. We may know about someone without knowing the person who is that someone, so it is with God the Father asn Jesus Son of God.
Might I suggest that there may be some reading this for whom this may be a life changing day. I pray so.