Loss of Identity
I walked with a friend the other day and found a Saguaro (sah-wah-roh) cactus blossom on the ground. The Saguaro cactus flower is the State Flower for Arizona. I brought it home and put it in a vase. It perked up, only to close up tightly later that evening and not reopen. Many of us spend our lives with titles from our careers, for example, doctor, teacher, lab technician, and the like. Once we retire, we "lose" our title since we are no longer doing the work that aligns us with those positions. Sometimes when this occurs, people close up and aren't open to anything new. As Christians, we are put on this earth to serve Jesus, Others, and then [Yourself] (JOY acronym). If we can focus less on our problems and circumstances and more on how we can help others, we will find more joy and be less likely to curl up and close down. When we feel we have had a loss of identity, whether through retirement, illness, or divor...