Who Am I?

I watched 2 movies this past weekend.  The new Spiderman and Meet the Robinsons.  I enjoyed both.  As a kid I wanted to get bitten by a radioactive, spider, tiger, leopard, snake, whatever it took to become a superhero with animal-like super reflexes and senses (Uh-oh! Spidey senses tingling).  Well, I have no super powers and I am no super hero.  I also imagined myself to be a super inventor/scientist that would change the world with my amazing innovations!  Well, I did become a scientist and yes even a rocket scientist but I am never going to get a Nobel.  Now that they are giving those out for pseudo-science to people like Al Gore I am not sure that I would want one.  So I started wondering what have I become?  I am 52 years old, partially disabled, father of 12 and grandfather of almost 11.  Hmmm.

In my quest for self undertstanding I took a spiritual gifts test and this how I scored as my top 5 gifts:

1. Writing
2. Teaching
3. (a tie) Exhortaion and Faith
4. Pastoring/ Shepherding
5. Poverty (voluntary) (Huh??!!)

I also took a test as part of the Strength Finding class at church to find out what my strengths were.  It was put together by Gallup (yes the famous poll people) and it is excellent.  I recommend it!  My top 5 strengths in order were:

1. Consistency
2. Restorative
3. Learner
4. Analytical
5. Harmony

These categories are different for every individual but the results were specific to and applied quite well to me.  They have given me some insight to what I can build on.  I have always looked at my weaknesses and tried to improve on them.  This is not necessarily bad, but it seemed to emphasize the negative.  Most people, if they are honest, know fully well what their weaknesses are and I am no exception.  I like the idea of building on my strengths and then when my confidences are high as to who I am and what I can achieve, I can then go back and perhaps manage my weakness better rather than work extremely hard on fixing something that is just what it is.

So who am I?  I am a man blessed with a wife who is strong, capable, able to think outside of the box, and CEO of a national company that she thought up herself.  (You should see HER results on these tests!!!)  I have 12 incredible children of who I am honored to be given the task of being father and raising them up.  I have 11 grandchildren and those whom I have been allowed to be a part of their lives have blessed me as well. Ain't nothing like getting  called Grandpa! But above all that I am created in the image of God, who is the Creator of the universe and He has chosen me to be adopted as His son.  (Top that Al Gore!!!!)  That is who I am and nothing more. BUT (insert dramatic and pregnant pause here) nothing less either!

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