"Be Who You Are..."

Its simple advice and seems obvious, but people don't live it and so it must not be so obvious.

Be who you are.

You know, that person who God conceived of in His mind when He thought you into existence at the moment of your conception? -That person. Yes, that person. Be who God intended for you to be. So many people try to be like somebody else. Yes, its nice to relate to other people: "Wow, I'm like that too... I do that too... I like that too..." we say. There is nothing wrong with relating to people and, in fact, it connects us somehow making us all part of the same Body of Christ. But, the goal for our lives is not to like or look like or do something just like someone else. We aren't even supposed to be another saint... we can imitate their virtues, but when it comes to the goal we are aiming for, we are supposed to 'be who God created us to be.' Yes, be your own blueprint. If this goes for twins or triplets (they all like to be individuals and not clumped together like a single entity), then all the more it goes for us in life. How can two people compliment each other if they are robotically the same? Be unique. Be who you are. 

See, at the beginning of time God had YOU in mind. Yes, you have existed in the mind of God since the beginning of time. And this idea God had for you is the person who makes you most yourself (and, ergo, happiest -because we all are happiest in being who God created us to be.) Healing of the human person consists in fitting perfectly back into the hands of God -a union of love with Him. And I'll let you in on a little secret -its not Him who needs the changin' in order for us to fit into the mold (the mold of our own personal identity). God never changed... we did ... through sin, through other's sins, etc., and so healing of the human person consists in us allowing the Holy Spirit to pour over us and remake -reform us -back into the redeemed version of ourselves.

It is the Holy Spirit's work -but there are things we can do to make His work most efficacious. For example, stop sinning. Sin is like taking a black marker and scribbling all over God's beautiful version of who we are supposed to be. Stop scribbling on God's work (both in yourself as well as in your neighbor -stop sinning against him). And God gives us a tool to make this redemption of our entire beings go more smoothly -there is something we can actually do to help this process move along quickly and efficaciously -and that is love.

Divine Love is the key for us becoming the perfect version of who God intended for us to be. Soaking in Divine Love (in prayer, in adoration, etc.,) can remove the stains of sin and weakness from our hearts. Being around loving people (those who allow God's Divine Love to flow through them) can do the same. Being an instrument of Divine Love for another can also transform our hearts (you can't touch fire and not be burned -just so you can't be an instrument of Divine Love and not have it transform you). Yes, humans may not be able to create Divine Love, but they can partake in Divine Love -its something God is continually pouring out upon our hearts so that we can absorb it and be filled by it and share it with the world.

In order to be happy, you have to be the 'you' God wants you to be. Memory is part of this -because we are also the sum parts of what happens to us in life (our entire lives God is painting a picture on the canvas of our soul). And remembering the gifts God has given us, the ways He has saved or blessed or redeemed us, the desires He planted in our hearts and then listening for His voice and the way He wants to fulfill those desires is all part of the process. Freedom is key to this -because love can only be love when we are not clobbered or forced... we have to be free to choose to love. Its the beauty of a human's relationship with God and man. And even when we are most bound, we can move that little love muscle in our heart and choose an act of virtue (no matter how little) and it grows our hearts capacity for union with the Lord.

Be who you are. Think about this today. Who are you and who are you supposed to be. Soul search... what are your likes? What are your dislikes? What are your gifts? What gifts do you want to ask the Lord to give you yet? Its one of the reasons I love to study personalities... when you know what makes you (and others) tick, you can tweek it in tune with the plans that God has for  your life. And the one key to figuring this all out is really the Heart of Jesus. He's the best mirror for us to look into to see where we've gone wrong, where we've gone right and how we are supposed to grow. He's the perfect One. So is Our Lady.

Take a second today, tonight and pray a simple prayer. "Jesus, Father... send me the Holy Spirit and show me who you made me to be and how I can get there. I ask You to share Your Divine Love with me so that I can be transformed and perfected and share this Divine Love with the world."  Please don't fear to walk to the beat of your own drum - in fact, consciously strive to figure out the best way you can glorify God today and do it without comparing yourself to everyone else. 'Different strokes for different folks,' Aunt Mary Fiat always says. And if you hit a bump in the road and start feeling really lonely or down about yourself -force yourself to visit the Blessed Sacrament or even just close your eyes in prayer and be aware of Jesus' Heart beating in some nearby tabernacle and say, "Sweet Jesus, I really need Love right now. Please, guide me, fill me, protect me, surround me with Your Love. Yes, Lord, please Love me, Love me, Love me... " If you do this, miracles will happen and you will be happy.