Who would you be if you had been raised in the Garden of Eden with God as your father? Now, that’s a question, isn’t it? Are you thinking about it? Maybe you’d be a poet instead of a teacher, or a teacher instead of a accountant. You’d probably be more confident, more secure, and surely more joyful in who you are and how God has wired you. There would be no shame, no hiding. There would be no apologies for being an introvert or an extrovert. No one would try to change you. God, the Father, the Gardener, would be creating the perfect environment for you to thrive. No two children are alike – nor are two gardens identical.
If you read yesterday’s devotional, you remember my story about the red glasses I used to wear as a 4 year old. I threw them away because of ridicule and abandoned the way I was made for a decade or two. Today, I encourage you to consider what your ‘red glasses’ might represent. A dream you abandoned, perhaps, because you were told it was stupid. Each of us wants to be loved and to belong and will change who we are to get it. Our authentic self becomes an imposter, but a convincing one. Sometimes, we even fool ourselves into thinking we’re really comfortable in the wrong skin.
Can Christ redeem what we lost along the way? Absolutely. Does He want to? Not only does He want to but when we live in His kingdom, we will forever be who He created. We will forever do what we were created to do. But, some dreams can come to pass now and maybe yours is one. You might think it’s too late. Your age makes you question whether the gift is still inside, ready to develop and mature. I can assure you that you do possess it for always. Once God gives a gift, He never takes it back. Look again at today’s scripture. The gifts and callings of God are irrevocable.
Moses was 82 and Aaron was 80 when they stood before Pharaoh to start the most arduous journey of their lives. In those 82 years, God shaped a leader. I can often believe that God calls the young and prepares them to hit their stride in their thirties. Most don’t. The David Platts of this world are rare. Most servants must train in the wilderness for several decades before they have enough wisdom and experience to lead. We wrongly assume that the wilderness is where we are supposed to call home. It’s been the norm but it’s for a season. It’s preparation. It’s never too late for you to claim your red glasses. Today is the first day of the rest of your life…your eternal life. You were created for that life and this one is a practice run where dreams are pursued and each of us rise up to walk in our God-given identity. Hear the call to step out of the shadows.