A man is being tailgated by a stressed-out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turns yellow, just in front of him. He does the right thing, and stops at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman hits the roof, and the horn, screaming in frustration as she misses her chance to get through the intersection with him. As she is still in mid-rant, she hears a tap on her window and looks up into the very serious face of a police officer. The officer orders her to exit her car with her hands up.

He takes her to the police station where she is searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approaches the cell and opens the door. She is escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer is waiting with her personal effects.

He says, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the' What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Follow Me to Sunday School' bumper sticker, and the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car."

Remember who you are!

About the time I was in high school, mom started telling me and my sisters to "remember who you are" when we were trying to make difficult decisions. (Mom and dad would "loosen the reins" bit by bit so that if we tripped and fell we wouldn't end up strangling ourselves.) As time has gone by and circumstances have changed, I find myself returning to this statement, even more so recently. But it leads me to another question that deserves a brutally honest answer. Who am I?

The lady from the story either (a) forgot momentarily who she was or (b) was trying to tell others who she was not. Have you ever come across a person who try s to tell others things about himself/herself that are blatantly not so? Sometimes it's as obvious as Pinocchio's nose growing, other times not. James talks about people who do not do the right thing when they know they should. This is sin (4: 17) For those who know the right and have the knowledge but still turn their back, it's better to never have been born. It's an important factor in life to live what you say, even more so for Christians.

As Christians we need to watch ourselves and be aware of our situations. There is a saying someplace that gives reference to always smile because you never know who's falling in love with your smile. For the other brother or sister, parent and friend. especially the Christian, we need to live good lives. Live God's word, you never know who is taking lessons from you. The big question here would be would others know who you are and what you stand for by looking at how you live? When you get the chance, read the words to "The World's Bible" (#460). The statements are quite powerful.

Living the life you should takes more than saying what you want others to think of you. Your life speaks for itself... what exactly does it say?

Charlotte