Kassie's Column: Who You Are Remains
Originally published by The Welcome Table on May 1, 2023
Table Talk
SETTING THE TABLE
You are welcome here. Come just as you are, bringing whatever is on your heart today. Take a few moments and allow yourself to just be. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. Allow yourself to be present in this moment.
Consider how a tiny acorn possesses the ability to transform into a mighty oak.
“Transformation is an ongoing process that tends to appear ordinary when, in fact, something extraordinary is taking place.”
– Suzy Ross
Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Two days before the start of 2023, I posted a life update on social media. Each year around that time, for at least the past 10 years, I find myself in a reflective state. While preparing for the new, I take inventory of the old. Sometimes this includes rereading entries in my journal. Sometimes this includes reviewing text messages and emails. It always includes sitting still and just “being” for a while to see where my thoughts take me.
My status from December 29, 2022 centered around the reality of the hand I was dealt throughout the year. While I’d experienced an overflowing abundance of joy, highs, and triumphs, the year was clearly defined by three occurrences: my mama’s major health crisis resulting in hospitalization, physical therapy, and months of recovery; the loss of multiple family members; and the abnormal beats taking place within my heart. It was a year that pushed me, stretched me, exposed fears, revealed areas of opportunity, solidified me, and heightened my senses of God’s favor. To sum it all up, it was transformative.
I believe a lot of us, myself included, have experiences in our lives we would say have changed us. We often hear moments referred to as "life-changing experiences". And by definition, according to Merriam-Webster, the word transform means to change in character or condition. There are additional definitions as well, but I want to focus on this one because the transformation I speak of is internal.
I often hear this word used in a way that suggests that when we are transformed, we somehow become different than who we were previously. But what I believe is that situations in our lives have the ability to transform us into more of who we are, authentically.
Think about it.
Take the next two minutes and allow your mind to travel back to your childhood days. Think about how you acted, the things you did, activities that put a smile on your face, the adults who were instrumental, the sights, the sounds, your feelings. Now, reenter the present and think about those same things. How are they similar? How do they differ? Can you find a correlation between the past and the present? If I was a gambler, I’d bet there are some consistencies.
While I realize thinking back may not produce warm, fuzzy feelings for everyone reading this, what I hope rose to the surface was a list of core characteristics that were present then and now.
At the core, I know who I am, but defining it as such took some time. It took experiences and life to amplify how I operate and show up in this world. Since my toddler years, I’ve always been caring and giving. I attribute this to the household I was raised in where I was witness to my mother and grandparents assisting each other, welcoming people into the house for conversations and food, and showing up, physically, for others when a need arose. My granddaddy even had keys to a lot of the neighbors’ houses.
Naturally, as I’ve aged, I’m a reflection of what I saw. The thing I now realize is that’s always who I’ve been, and who I’ve been growing into. I’ve grown both emotionally and as a person. And in my opinion, that’s what transformation truly is: an expansion.
“Be not conformed, but be transformed,” Paul says.
Life is a beautiful teacher, if you grant it the space to be. Sure, there will be tears, moments of frustration, anger and doubt, hurdles, setbacks, disappointments, and changes to our plans. Yet, if we permit God to show us how to operate within His purpose, goals, and plans for our lives, then the ability to transform becomes a welcome companion instead of an annoying sidekick.
As we consent to evolution in our lives, we set ourselves up for a life that, deep down, is rooted in who we truly are. Circumstances may alter how you respond in some moments, but who you are at your center remains, even during tough times.
And that, my friends, is the truest sign of transformation.
Plant a seed, nurture it, and watch it grow into the beautiful creation it was always meant to be.
Try the exercise of meditating on your childhood and finding correlations between who you were then and who you are now.
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
BLESSING
Heavenly Father, thank you for guiding us as You transform us through Your word and power. May we embrace what You want to do in us and through us so that we may be a reflection of You.
A LITTLE TABLE TALK FOR YOUR TABLE...
Share with a friend two areas in your life where you’ve experienced transformation in the past. How does your life differ now versus then?
Now, name two areas of your life where you’ve resisted transformation. Why?
Then, name two areas of your life you’re currently experiencing transformation. How does it feel?
TRY TAKING IT TO THE KIDS TABLE...
Share with your child examples of why transformation is good and necessary.
Help them identify ways they’ve transformed – have they changed physically, have they mastered a skill or school subject they once struggled with, etc.
Encourage your kiddo to share with an adult when they’re experiencing transformation that may leave them fearful or scared.
