On The Journey Toward Reclaiming my Identity

There is a crisis in North America and Europe. People are stealing each other's identities. It begins with stealing or changing personal and professional data: vital statistics, credit card and Social Security numbers, health and life insurance policies, and anything else that in 2005 will distinguish one individual from another. Identity theft virtually wipes away the existence of a person, at least as it is defined on the Internet.
But the big question remains. Aren't we more than our ID numbers? Don't our identities reflect our uniqueness, the vital nature (not the vital signs) that distinguishes us from others? I don't want anyone identifying me from a list of variables that may include height, weight, health, or food preferences. Perhaps I am saintly, or evil. I suspect that is a more apt identity. I think of individuals' essential identities - not what they do, what God they worship, or what colour they are - as defining who they are as human beings.
I doubt that God has the largest database of all, though if there is one that really matters, it is God's. But God doesn't care about statistics. God accepts us unconditionally. Each of us is unique and wonderful to God.
If you are searching for your identity, don't look for it in a database or in anyone else's definition of you. Rather, look for it in your relationships with God, yourself, and those who love you.

by Shirley Kane Lewis