If you had to put four things in a bag that describe you, what would they be? That was an interesting question posed to the radio audience on a station I was listening to this morning. An interesting question. One that I think is often harder to answer than we might think. Most people can pick one or two pretty quickly. Get into number three and four, it’s sometimes a bit more challenging. Can you do it?
Someone once said to me, “It would be a terrible thing to go through your entire life not really being known by a single person.” That would be a tragedy. Unfortunately, I think it happens much more frequently than we would care to admit. Even worse, how often do we go through life not really knowing ourselves? Think back to the question. Do you know what would go in the bag? Do you know yourself well enough to come up with four things? Give it a shot.
Since I can’t ask you to do something I’m not prepared to do, here are my four:
1. A Bible. OK, this could easily be a cop-out. Sort of like the Sunday School answer where everything is “Jesus”. Every Christian could (and probably will) put this one. Though it should be assumed, my circumstances as a pastor (yes, I’m playing the pastor card!) make this an exception. Much like an accountant might put a calculator in or an NSA agent might put a picture of us in there. Just kidding…they’re watching me, aren’t they? Alright, just so you don’t think I’m cheating, I’ll add an additional item: a book. I love to read. I love libraries (personal more than public) and “studies”. I read a lot of ebooks, but love the feel of a good quality book in my hand. I enjoy the solitude that I find in my study or home library, surrounded by my books, sometimes reading and sometimes just enjoying the surroundings. This speaks to the introverted part of me…which is substantial!
2. A coffee bean. Yeah…love coffee. Coffee is not only a hobby (I roast it, grind it and serve it…haven’t learned how to grow it yet), but it represents all that is great about my marriage. Sounds weird, doesn’t it. Some of my most special moments with Karen are over a cup of coffee. We have always loved visiting coffee shops together, looking at coffee-related books, and tasting different kinds together, but the best is our “porch-time” whenever we can grab it just to be together. I never think of coffee without connecting it to my relationship with Karen to some degree. That’s a big blessing to me.
3. Sand. I love beach life. Though I don’t live it very often, it’s very much who I am (actually, there is much about our home that reflects this lifestyle. If you’ve been there, you probably know what I’m talking about). There is nothing more worshipful for me than the glory of a sunrise or sunset over the ocean. There is nothing more unifying than playing on the beach with my family or walking down the seashore together. The beach lifestyle very much captures a big part of my personality: laid-back, relaxed and fun-loving.
4. A songbook. I love music. Always have. My life has always been full of music, whether singing, playing guitar, listening to it…whatever. Rarely, is there not music playing wherever I am. Though I go through stages where I focus on one particular genre for a while, I love most styles of music. Classic Jazz is an exceptional favorite of mine. Whether I want music to reflect my mood or shape my mood, it’s almost always a part of whatever I’m doing.
Now, I guess the interesting thing would be to see if your friends agree, are surprised or disagree with your self-assessment. Give it a shot. You can use my comments section below if you want. Dare ya…and feel free to interact with mine (if you know me…or at least think you do). 🙂
