Finding yourself

Last night my little sister and I watched Kung-Fu Panda 3, as we were unwinding after a long day at school and work. If you have watched Kung-Fu Panda 3 you would know that Po, who is the main character, goes on a journey of finding himself and being who only he can be. At the end of the movie we find that Po finds out that he in fact is altogether a student of Kung-Fu and a teacher. That he is the dragon warrior and a panda.

I feel we can relate to this movie on different levels. Number 1, like Po, we are all trying to find ourselves. Lots of questions rise up when we are on this journey of self discovery to purpose driven lives. Then secondly, we are always comparing ourselves to other people. Am I really a panda or a duck? Like Po and his non-biological father or what really am I? Do I do the things that he or she does and the way they do it? Why can I not perform like she or he does in this area of my life or why can I just never do that one thing? These are all very real questions we ask on a daily basis in different forms ans in both our minds and subconscious minds.

Last week Saturday I had the opportunity to be part of our Junior School annual Easter Production and I played one of the lead characters in the story. Excited, but not sure if I am suitable for the role, I learned my lines, became the character and did the best I could for my sake and the children's sake. Growing up in church being creative was always part of the deal when putting together an evening for young people or a simple production, so I had some experience of being on stage. However, it has literally been years since I have stepped onto a stage for drama, because the stage would only see me when I had to sing or speak in front of a crowd. The day had finally come for us to produce and I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Still I had not thought about the performance as much as feelings of relief and peace took over my mind.

Anyway, after the production people affirmed me and to my surprise they were making a big deal of my acting. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't think I was bad, but I did not expect that positive of a response at all. I kept twitching inside when people complimented me. I started thinking, if this was average then how would a notch higher be? I started to realise that there was more to me than I have ever come to know.

This year has been an inward challenging year so far with me as the Lord has been developing the leadership skill inside of me. I thought that I was okay, you know. Until the Lord started pushing me out into leadership in most areas of my life. I started learning to be more strict, making lasting impressions of stern but gentle instruction and the whole abc. I am in the process of finding more strengths and weaknesses and the things I have not discovered yet.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God and man, then arrives on the scene in the new testament of the bible and He says, "If you find your life, you will lose it. If you lose your life in me, then you will find it." (Paraphrased) What this scripture is basically saying is, if we find our lives in our own strength and pursuit, we will lose it. However, if we lose our lives in Him and find Him first, then we will find our lives in Him. We cannot do it without God, not to mention finding our lives and purpose. With God on the journey, He begins to help us with Holy Spirit cutting away everything that needs to be cut away and forming whatever needs to take shape.

Finding ourselves is an essential part of life's journey, but it would be in vain if it is not in the Godhead of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There is more to life that meets the eye, so much more.

Shalom.

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