Have you ever . . .

Have you ever thought about the things that actually define you? I can't say that I have ever put serious thought into it until recently.

You see, there are certain things that I thought would always define me or be a part of me, but they ended up going away for one reason or another. It doesn't mean I can't ever get them back, but for right now there are no traces of them in my life. It is very odd to think back on different seasons and wonder what I would have told someone defined me at the time. It would have been so different from what is right now.

For example, I thought the word, "teacher," would always define me. I am definitely teaching my two young boys both indirectly and directly, but they would never call me "teacher" or "Mrs. Bettelli." Really at this stage of my life as a stay at home mom, teacher does not define me. It is a part of my past and maybe my future. That is all.

I also thought "student" was a word that would be kept in my past, but I find it becoming a part of my definition again. Going back to graduate school has become a part of my life. I really never thought it would happen, but God orchestrated everything just right. I now believe "student" defines me once again.

I guess my point is that we don't always know what will define us in life. I hope that certain roles or titles will always be a part of me, such as: mother, wife, friend. Then there are others that I know will change. People who meet me in the future may never know I used to be "teacher" or "student" or "you fill in the blank."

It really has shown me that what you do is not who you are. God created you to achieve different things in different seasons of life. When you are really enjoying a season, then savor each second because I can assure you it will change. If you are really having a hard time or struggling thorugh a season, then know it won't be around forever. Both are comforting to me. I usually find myself loving and hating different things about different seasons.

So, what defines you right now?