Did you know? Milky Way Candy Bars and Three Musketeers Candy Bars labels were switched accidentally when they were created? That's right! Milky Ways are supposed to be called Three Musketeers and vice versa. So when you eat that Three Musketeers, with the milky middle, you're actually eating a Milky Way. And when you eat a Milky Way, with it's three components: caramel, chocolate and nugget, you're actually eating a Three Musketeers! Fact!
As a child, I was full of mischief. I was always getting into trouble. I had one particular habit that caused the adults in my life to go mad. I would sneak into the pantry and remove labels from the cans. Nobody had any idea what was in those cans until they opened them. "What are we having for dinner tonight?" became a mystery game. We might be having tomato soup. We might be having dog food. It all depended on luck.
Labels are important. They tell us what's inside. But that's all that they do. The thing inside the can doesn't change depending on the label. My uncle worked for a canning company for many years, and you wouldn't believe how often the right thing gets put inside the wrong can! Sometimes we would come home and find stacks of soda boxes on our front porch, left there by my uncle. He and his co-workers would get to take home the mislabeled soda for free! They had a lot of it, too! This was exciting for us as kids, because we had a ton of free soda. However, you never could be certain what was inside that can! You might think that you're drinking Cola, but it could be Lemon Lime. You wouldn't know until you tasted it.
Labels are important to a certain extent, but they are not always trustworthy. We use labels to mark people as well. "That person is a jock," or "That person is rich," or "That person is Catholic." The labels help us to identify what kind of person we are encountering, but there is only so much stock we should put in those labels. Labels are loaded with connotation.
When you remove all of the labels from yourself, what are you left with? If I were to take away all of my labels: Youth Minister, daughter, home owner, pet owner, American, runner, movie quoter, etc., all I'm left with is Krissy. What is Krissy made of?
Obviously (I hope it's obvious), I'm not talking about the physicality of a person. Yes, we are all made of bones, muscle, skin, hair, teeth, organs, etc. I'm talking about what makes me Krissy.
Krissy is a child of God. End of story. You'll find that when you throw away all of your labels, that you are also a child of God! That's what it comes down to for every individual. That means that we are all created in God's image and likeness! That means that we are all created to love, we are created to create and to work, that our lives are holy, blessed, and set apart. The way that we display those things changes depending on each person. For me, it means that I work as a Youth Minister. It means that I love the teens I work with, I love my family, I love my fellow American citizens, and I love my fellow citizens of the world. It means that my life is so holy that I try to live it without sin, and that I frequent the Sacraments. Those are all of the things that I do as a result of who I am. Remember, we are human beings, not human doings. I am a child of God. I do Youth Ministry.
Find out who you are. Ask God for His help. He will show you. Only when you know who you are can you appreciate who others are as well.
