The summer before my sophomore year of college, I was working at a camp 900 miles from home.  Being away from my home church and the Christian community at my college left me longing for people who shared my faith.  When the opportunity arose for me to walk to church one morning, I was thrilled.  My second Sunday at the church, I was less than thrilled; I was uncomfortable.  No one could understand my southern accent, and my walking to church led people to believe I wasn’t yet old enough to drive.  My embarrassment only grew when the pastor announced from the pulpit that Kathleen from Texas had returned for the service again.

As I sat in my pew, planning my escape route to avoid talking to anyone after the service, I remembered something important.  I am not just 19-year-old Katlyn from Tennessee; I am a child of God.  I am loved beyond comprehension, forgiven without reason, given peace that surpasses all understanding.  I can laugh without fear of the future.  While I love my earthly identity, it comes in second to my so-much-more-valuable identity in Christ.

Prayer: Dear God, you change, transform, restore, and renew. Thank you for being our Father and giving us a new life in you. Amen.