Who are you? Wrong answer on Cape Cod.

The weather on Cape Cod in late June of 2016 was beautiful. Diane and I were there for a few days to see the Cape and to watch some of our Vandyboys play baseball in the famous Cape Cod Baseball League. This particular day, I was sporting a Vanderbilt Commodore tee shirt to show my obvious favorites. But, as I usually do, I tempered my outward expression by donning a cap supporting our Emma’s CPA (Christ Presbyterian Academy) Lions instead of doubling up on Vanderbilt gear.

Our afternoon plan was to watch our favorite third baseman Will Toffey and his Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox play the Orleans Redbirds, anchored by our Vandyboys Ethan Paul and Chandler Day. But before making the short drive to Yarmouth, we walked down Main Street in Chatham and wandered through a few shops.

It was in one of those shops that a rather well dressed man, obviously a tourist also, nearly startled me when he grabbed my arm and exclaimed “Hey, I ‘m an accountant, too!” I was startled mostly because I could think of no reason on earth that someone would think I was an accountant. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…just that I am about as far from an accountant as East is from the West.

“No, sorry, but I’m not an accountant sir; why would you think that?” I asked him with what must have been shock in my voice. “Your hat…you are a CPA, right?” he responded. “Me, too!”

I was still mostly dumbfounded as I explained that CPA was a private school just outside Nashville. Dumbfounded because I could not fathom anyone even thinking that a person would wear his occupation on the front of his baseball cap. Hmmm. Maybe an accountant would! No offense to accountants, of course!

It really is quite important, isn’t it; quite revealing…that from which we take our identity? Do we internalize a self concept and live our lives identified just by our name? By our occupation? By some achievement? By some affiliation?

It seems that God has a much bigger, much better identity for us. An identity that carries with it all the available strength and power and grace and peace and love that is ours as a Child of God.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.” 1 John 3:1 ESV

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” Romans 8:16 ESV

How could we possibly settle for something less?

To what identity do you cling? What is the identity that defines you? What clarifies your life’s purpose?

This last week I have daily been repeating the following lines from a prayer published by Rueben Job in his book “Three Simple Questions”.

“Loving God. Remind me often today where I find my identity. May I never forget that I am your beloved child.”

The identity that we portray, or attempt to portray to others is yet another thing. And, is it possible that God wants to see His identity in us? For later discussion.

I think I might make a cap that says C of G on the front. But then someone would probably stop me to say that they also attended College of Glasgow.

Nice opening, though.