Author Archives: lee

Identity: Made, Chosen, or Given?

Sometimes a person looks at the world and feels it pulling in two directions at once. One voice says, “Invent yourself. Create who you want to be.” Another says, “Join a group. Take on its labels. Let your tribe tell you who you are.”

Both seem to promise clarity, belonging, and freedom.

Yet neither feels like the whole truth. If someone can make themselves from scratch, why do
they still feel unfinished And if they let a group define them, why do they feel smaller instead larger. So the question rises quietly in the heart, “Who tells me who I am?”

Me:   Lord, the world keeps telling people that identity is something they build or something they choose. Either they invent themselves or they join a group and let that define them. But both feel unstable. Both feel loud.Both feel like they demand something a person does not have.

God: That is because neither one is a foundation. Identity is not a construction project nor is it a political category. Identity is a gift.

Me:   A gift?

God: Yes. A person is not a blank canvas waiting for paint. They’re not a puzzle waiting for
pieces; and they’re not a slogan, a label, or a demographic box.

Me:   What are they?

God: They are My creation. My image. My workmanship. My child.

Me:   But the world says people should define themselves.

God: And I say they should discover themselves, the self I made. Identity is not invented. It is revealed by the One who made them. 

Me:  Then why do people cling so tightly to labels and tribes

God: Because they are searching for belonging, meaning, a name. But no human group can give a name that reaches the soul. And no self constructed identity can hold the weight of a human life. Only the One who made a person can tell them who they are.

Me:   Then who am I

God:  You are Mine, and everything else flows from that.

This Conversation is not meant as God’s literal speech, it simply reflects my thoughts on how Scripture shows His heart toward those who struggle with questions.

Reflection

There is a deep peace in realizing that a person does not have to manufacture themselves into something impressive or assemble an identity to feel real. They do not have to cling to a label to be seen, and they do not have to join a tribe to belong. Identity is not a performance, a political category, or a personal invention. It is a gift given by the One who knew them before they knew themselves. And perhaps that is the freedom many have been missing, the freedom of discovering that they do not have to define themselves but only need to discover the One who already has.

82 years later, we honor the extraordinary heroes of D-Day. On that fateful morning, thousands of brave American soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy with unwavering courage in defense of freedom. They fought not for glory or recognition, but for one another, for their country, and for the generations yet to come.
Every time Old Glory rises, we are reminded of their profound sacrifice and the price paid for the liberty we cherish today. Let us honor their legacy by never taking that freedom for granted.

Some left early. Airborne troops left for France June 5th, the evening before the invasion. I can’t say my dad did because he never said. He was with a glider group with the Army Air Force that was part of the invasion.

What blows me away is a kid 18 hits the beach June 6th is now 100 years old if still with us. See less

On June 4, 1919, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was approved by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. About 14 months later, on August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the proposed addition to the U.S. Constitution, giving it the three-fourths of the states necessary to become law.

Does this mean women could only vote after August 18, 1920? Nope. Some states,15 in all,had already approved women’s right to vote, primarily in western states. For example, Jeannette Rankin, a Montana Republican, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916.

Just thinking to myself here, but it really shouldn’t have been necessary for a separate amendment. The 15th Amendment gave Black Americans the right to vote, and perhaps it wasn’t the proper place to put it, but around the same time, in the 14th Amendment, the first clause begins by referring to “all citizens,” while the second clause, which has to do with voting, uses the word “male.”

Who knows, it could have been taken care of in 1868. It’s important because the 14th Amendment, including the equal protection clause, addresses aspects of citizenship and the rights of citizens. In Wyoming, the right of women to vote was approved.

But it wasn’t. In 1916, Woodrow Wilson ran on a platform of voting for women, yet he had personally opposed it before. The final opposition, including from President Wilson, was overcome in 1918 when Wilson agreed to it, and New York granted the right to women that year.

There are moments when we fear our lives are already scripted, that God’s knowledge of the future somehow locks us into a path we didn’t choose. Some even wonder why our choices matter at all if God already knows what we’ll do. It’s a quiet worry, but a real one: are we truly free, or just moving through a story already decided.

Me:  God, I’ve been thinking about something someone asked. If You already know everything we’re going to do, how can we have free will. It feels like a contradiction.

God: It only feels that way from where you stand. Knowing is not the same as controlling.

Me:  But if You know every choice I’ll ever make, doesn’t that mean I’m just acting out a script You already wrote.

God: No. You choose your steps. I simply see the path clearly. My knowledge does not force your decisions. It only means I am never surprised by them.

Me:   So, You’re saying You know the whole story, but I still write my part.

God: You write it freely. I see it fully. Those two truths do not cancel each other. They complete each other.

Me:   But then why do You call people to speak up, to act, to confront wrong, to stand for truth. If You already know what we’ll do, why involve us at all.

God: Because obedience is not for My benefit. It is for yours. I invite you into My work so your faith grows, your courage strengthens, and your heart becomes more like Mine.

Me:   So, when we see corruption or injustice, we’re not supposed to stand back and say, “Well, God already knows what will happen.”

God: No. Knowing the outcome does not excuse inaction. I call My people to be salt and light, not spectators. Salt preserves what is good. Light reveals what is hidden. Neither role is passive.

Me:   But not everyone confronts the same way.

God: Nor should they. Some speak boldly. Some work quietly. Some pray. Some comfort. Some expose wrongdoing. Some rebuild what is broken. I do not give everyone the same assignment, but I give everyone a place in My work.

Me:   So free will means I still have to choose obedience, even though You already know whether I will.

God: Yes. My foreknowledge does not remove your responsibility. It simply means that when you choose what is right, I have already prepared the strength you will need to walk it out.

Me:   That actually helps. It means You’re not controlling me… You’re guiding me.

God: And I guide without forcing. I lead without pushing. I call without coercing. Love never removes freedom.

This Conversation is not meant as God’s literal speech, it simply reflects how Scripture shows His heart toward those who struggle with questions of sovereignty and free will.

Reflection

Many believers struggle with the idea that God’s foreknowledge might erase their freedom. Some understand the balance easily, and some don’t, and that’s alright. Scripture never presents God’s sovereignty as a cage or His knowledge as a form of control. Instead, it shows a God who sees fully yet allows us to choose freely. His foreknowledge doesn’t diminish our responsibility, it simply means He is never surprised by our steps.

Some people assume that if God knows everything, then our choices don’t matter. But the truth is the opposite, our choices matter precisely because God doesn’t force them. His knowledge is perfect, but His love never removes freedom. Yes, He knows our decisions before we make them, the good ones and the bad ones, but His knowing is not His causing. Our relationship with Him is real, not scripted.

Jesus called His followers to act, to speak truth in love, to confront what harms others, and to walk in obedience, not because He forces our choices, but because He invites us into His work. Being salt and light is not passive. It means preserving what is good, revealing what is hidden, and living in a way that reflects His heart.

Paul speaks to this in Romans 8:29–30. He says God “predestined” those who are in Christ, not that He preprogrammed every action, but that He already knows the destiny of those who belong to Him. His foreknowledge is perfect, but His love is never coercive. He guides without forcing, leads without pushing, and calls without removing freedom. Our choices matter because our relationship with Him is real. 

“It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.” — Father Dennis Edward O’Brien, USMC

I have always personally observed Memorial Day. When I was a kid, we followed the parade down Main Street, went right up a hill, and eventually arrived at the cemetery. Those organizing it or playing a pivotal role were veterans not far removed from WWII, discharged less than fifteen years earlier.

Some people spoke, but at that age, less than ten, I knew the program. After the speeches and before Taps, there would be a twenty‑one gun salute. When the men firing broke away, it was the signal for little boys to move quickly, trying to grab at least one of the twenty‑one spent shells scattered about. That was then; not today.

Memorial Day was always observed on May 30 until Congress changed the date to a Monday to create a three‑day weekend. Decoration Day, as it was initially known, could fall on any day of the week, but that changed decades ago, in 1971, to give Americans a long weekend, not to remember those who died, but for cookouts and sales, it seems. The latter is fine, provided you remember the first.

Since the law changed, it has fallen on May 30 fewer than ten times. I mean, it is a day to celebrate in a sense, though what we are celebrating are those who stared at and accepted death so that others would not have to. Think of it in terms of a celebration of life, perhaps, which seems to have replaced the more somber funeral. I think it is important we remember this vital point, that others died so you may live to do the things we do on Memorial Day with family and friends.

One of the most moving pieces of music ever written is “Taps.” It is linked here with America the Beautiful, and I hope you will listen to it. Taps does not have words, but there are versions of it. My dad taught me them as a kid. It begins with, “Day is done, gone the sun…” While you listen, think about the 1.6 million men and women who died in times of war, and take a moment to say thank you for their sacrifice.

So, what can you do? Somewhere toward the beginning of this, I said to live life. The old saying “Many gave some, and some gave all” truly holds meaning. To not live in freedom is to dishonor those who gave all. Freedom carries a responsibility. Freedom is maintained by us, the people, through eternal vigilance.

Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” That is not a political statement; it is a fact. Freedom means holding the government accountable to the Constitution. Returning to Chamberlain, “peace in our time,” and the sixty million killed as a result of his appeasement — freedom means being willing to stand and fight for what is right.

As an aside, I do not say Happy Memorial Day. It is a personal choice. It is a somber day of remembrance when we pause to express our gratitude. I fail to see how death can be a happy event. I listened to some Gold Star spouses actively say, “Be happy, that is what they fought for.” I cannot though. Perhaps, “Have a good Memorial Day remembering and honoring those who gave all.” Or maybe, “Have a meaningful Memorial Day.”

Link: Taps Across America Memorial Day Tribute – America the Beautiful and Taps