Who Are You?

Who are you? Well, that's a question I have been asking myself for a long while. There are many ingredients that makeup who we are. Where we are born, where and how we are raised, and our family all have a great deal to do with who we are. A good relationship with your family, especially your parents, has a huge impact on the person you become. Where you live can also significantly influence your life. Our belief in God is of the utmost importance, but I will focus here more on the free will God gives us.

A person must get right with themselves before they can help others...

You have no choice of who your family is or where you are born and raised, however, you have much control over who you surround yourself with. I believe the people you choose to be friends with play a big role in the direction of your life. I've seen this personally. Now everyone makes mistakes—that’s a part of life—but sometimes people make poor choices. Oftentimes they are fully aware of their poor choices but simply don’t believe that they will have an adverse effect on their life or on the lives of others. I believe it's best to avoid these people whenever possible. Some will say that's not a Christian way of living, but I say we can still love them and pray for them at a distance. A person must get right with themselves before they can help others, but it's extremely difficult to straighten out your life and keep it moving in the right direction when there are a lot of negative, outside influences. My former employer once intentionally hired a man released from prison with the objective of trying to help him straighten his life out. He knew he had a good group of employees that might be a good influence on his life. The young man spoke of some of the characters he associated with. This man knew they were probably not the best people to associate with but, unfortunately, he continued to find himself in their company. He spoke openly about the importance of avoiding that way of life. However, for reasons that I cannot comprehend, he simply couldn't resist and later found himself in trouble again.

One of my co-workers, and a good friend still today, said you are who you surround yourself with. I believe in many respects he is correct. This may not always be true since there are certainly times in life when we find ourselves at the wrong place at the wrong time. However, the majority of our problems and the type of attitude towards others and life, in general, can be directly related to the people we surround ourselves with. If you’re unhappy with the direction of your life, perhaps change some of the people around you. Maybe even your location, if possible. Sometimes your life situation demands change. There may be some opposition to some of the changes you make, but at times it is necessary to do what is best for yourself. I know this may sound a bit simplistic, but we can make changes in things we have control over. Whatever we don’t have control over, we can give to God. After all, those who believe in God know He is in charge, but we still must exercise the free will He gave us. We are a team, working together with Him to steer our lives in the right direction. We have to do our part.

I would consider myself blessed by the people who have come into my life. I have had a relationship with two wonderful women who have taken me to be their husband. I have chosen and been chosen to be friends with some of the most wonderful people. I have made a conscious decision to do what I can to avoid people who create conflict in my life. Especially at this point in my life, I gravitate toward people who bring me peace. That doesn't mean I have no compassion for those who are suffering, but I have a hard time being around those who create their own struggles through the poor decisions they make. If they truly want to change their lives and wish for advice to better their lives, I'll be ready to help. But for the people who enjoy chaos, creating conflict, and showing no respect for themselves or others through their decisions and actions, I have NO time. For those who see the life I had with Jeannie, and the life I now have with Donna Lynn, and wonder why a schlub like me has had such a wonderful life … it’s because good people and good decisions lead to a good life. There are times when we need to make tough decisions in order to improve our life situations, but we will be rewarded. God is so good!

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In closing, here are a few words from Ms. Lady Lake

Who are you? God knows! He knew you before He formed you in the womb. His plan is to prosper you and not to harm you … to give you a hope and a future. He sees the end from the beginning and all that lies within. Surrounding ourselves with Him is the absolute BEST decision we could ever make.

Ms. Lady Lake

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart.” Jeremiah 1:5