I tried to determine why I was blocked during my online check-in. My details were in order. I was acting at the right time. I had double-checked everything I could think of. I was sure my file was complete. Whatever my truth was, it would have to wait until I spoke with someone at the airport.
The check-in was smooth, cheerful, and oh-so-polite. I forgot to ask why I could not take the action myself. It remained a puzzle until I took the first few steps from the counter. My boarding pass was different. I had been designated SSSS. I was marked for Secondary Security Screening Selection. Whatever my thoughts were of myself, someone else thought otherwise. As I walked towards the gate, I listened to life’s reminders.
The label I give myself matters. The label given to me alerted me to the coming search of my luggage, extra scans and pat-downs, and more. These inconveniences did not define me to anyone, including myself. The labels placed on me are early alerts to what may follow, nothing more. The names others choose to call me reveal more about the one using the name than it tells of what is within me. The starting point of my life is the name I give myself. It is a universal point with an external reference; Divinity reminds me that I am a child of God. Designated, defined, and always embraced.
In each step, I reveal my authentic name. Yes, my external name is Bill. The question is, what is the name of my heart? I expose my answer to the question and those around me with each word, decision, and action. I see examples in earlier generations and find courage. The Abraham Isaac story is one; “Abraham figured that if God wanted to, he could raise the dead. In a sense, that’s what happened when he received Isaac back, alive from off the altar.” (Hebrews 11.19)
Today, I will reveal my heart and what I call myself. I already know my designation, God’s child. Now, to make it real.
