Affirmation, Chosen and Approved Series, Identity

Chosen and Approved: Reflections of Ourselves

Jeanne Takenaka

chosen

+Jeanne Takenaka @JeanneTakenaka

“Mirrors never lie. The world’s reality is the best reality. Others perceptions are always spot on. Social media speaks the truth at all times.”

When I read these words, my heart remembered the many times I’ve believed and made decisions based on one or more of these lies.

I’ve been the one caught up in believing another’s perspective about me had more validity than my own perspective. In my younger years, I lived as if the world’s reality was the best reality.

Because in my heart, I didn’t see my own reflection as valid. I was certain the world knew best what I should reflect, what I should look like . . . right?

The problem is, those sentences? They’re all lies. And my friend, Mary Geisen , goes on in her wisdom-filled blog to help us understand that there’s more to us than what the physical mirror reflects.

I am honored to partner with Emily Conrad and Mary Geisen in this series: Chosen and Approved: Untangling Our Identities from People and Perfection. The three of us are still works-in-progress, learning to find our identities and value in Jesus alone. We’d love for you to join us each Tuesday through November 8th and share your journey with us.

You will find the rest of Mary’s post at her lovely blog, Passage Through Grace.

And, if you missed last week’s introductory post, you can find it right here. You can check out the live posts right here.

Today I’m linking up with Holly Barrett’s Testimony Tuesday and Kelly Balarie’s #RaRaLinkUp

Published by Jeanne Takenaka

Award winning aspiring novelist, Jeanne Takenaka, writes contemporary inspirational fiction that tackles real life issues with a heart to draw women closer to God and those around them. She lives near the mountains in Colorado with her amazing husband and two exuberant boy-men. She loves being God’s girl—always learning about His grace, hanging out with friends and enjoying a great cup of coffee. When she’s not writing you can find her with a camera in her hand, looking for #alittlebitofpretty in her days.

12 thoughts on “Chosen and Approved: Reflections of Ourselves”

  1. Just came here from Mary’s place, actually. She wrote a good post, and I added one of my normally wayward comments.

    I spent much of my life being aggressively indifferent to my peers; but this was still a sort of engagement.

    Now, I simply don’t care, and this may be a harbinger of something emotionally (and perhaps spiritually) more dangerous.

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    1. Andrew, so glad you stopped by. I appreciated your comment on her site. 🙂 I hadn’t thought about it, but I guess if we are seeking to be indifferent to peers, we’re still engaging through the act of ignoring or distancing ourselves.

      As for not caring now . . . It seems like there is a balance between not being concerned about what others think about us and not caring about anything at all. One thing I’ve noticed as I’ve watched people dealing with terminal illness is that their priorities shrink to what is most important in their lives. It’s not necessarily that they don’t care about those outside their world, so much as the fact that they care more and more about those closest to them. I don’t know if this thought is off-base or not. What do you think?

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      1. Jeanne, you bring up an interesting and very profound question. I should give a spoiler alert – the answer isn’t pleasant.

        I think it’s different for everyone, but for me it’s a place I don;t care to examine too closely. But now I think I have to.

        One of the things I’m experiencing is that those who are closest to me are moving on. Their lives have a dynamism that is an interplay with the world’s rhythm, and there’s no way I can keep up.

        I can’t remember the last time anyone asked “what did you do today?” There are diagnostic questions as to how I am feeling, and how much blood has been passed, but I’ve been written off the roster of usefulness.

        It’s understandable and perhaps inevitable, so “don’t mean nothing” has to become my defensive mantra. My caring is focused outward, but in a somewhat detached and Zen-like form. Looking inward at myself and at the personal input I can still give – it don’;t mean nuthin’.

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  2. Remembering and believing that many times other’s perceptions of us show who they are rather than who we are is a wisdom journey. I pray often for discernment to know when I need to take in what is being said or when I need to just toss it over my shoulder!

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    1. I loved your thoughts here, Lynn. I hadn’t thought about how much others’ perceptions of us reveal about themselves. What a great perspective. Like you, I still pray about what others say to me. I pray about what I need to heed and what I can let go of. It’s not always easy to do either. 🙂

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  4. “I’ve been the one caught up in believing another’s perspective about me had more validity than my own perspective.” I really identify with this, Jeanne. It’s hard to change my default mode, but I keep trying to replace the lies with the truth. I’m still a work in progress in seeing myself as God sees me. I love this series. 🙂 Blessings and hugs to you!

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    1. Trudy, it is hard to change those default modes! The thing that brings hope is that God helps us, one step at a time, right? Though He can heal every wound in our hearts instantaneously, it seems like He often does the healing in stages. And through the process, we learn to trust in Him, to see His faithfulness and His love. We learn to choose to trust Him, which takes us into a deeper relationship with Him, don’t you think?

      Thank you so much for stopping by. I so appreciate your transparency!

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    1. Awww, thanks, Meg. This has been a lifelong journey for me. The whole idea of knowing beyond a doubt where our identities are based . . . It sounds like you’re moving into a good place regarding knowing your identity. It’s so freeing, isn’t it?

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