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By Mary L. Hamilton

While Brady tries to figure out what he did to earn Mom’s rejection, he befriends a blind but capable cabin mate and becomes a target for the camp bully.
But when he learns Mom may be in danger, Brady sees his chance to change Dropping a son or daughter off at college for the first time can be rough on a parent. I know it was for me, especially when it came to leaving our youngest at college. Between moving him into the dorm, attending a parents’ orientation and other activities, the last few hours we spent with him just weren’t enough. I expected the day to be emotionally difficult, but watching him walk away with that lost look about him tore at my heart. He was a thousand miles from home and didn’t know anyone on campus.

A student who spoke during the parent orientation said it well. “When you start college, you lose your identity. No one knows who you are, where you came from, what you’ve done.”
That comment stuck with me, not only because it perfectly expressed what my son was experiencing but because it’s true of more than just starting college. Many life events rob us of our identity–starting a new job, retirement, moving to a new community, death of a spouse, divorce. Even health issues can force us to change our identity, the way we think about ourselves.
An empty nest forced me to re-examine my own identity. For twenty-six years, I’d been a stay-at-home mom. Then one day, the kids were all gone. I was no longer known as Dan’s mom, Beki’s mom, Matt’s mom. Who am I?
In a different context, Moses and David asked the same question.
When Moses heard God’s call to deliver His people, he asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (Ex. 3:11)
After David killed Goliath and defeated the Philistines, Saul gave his daughter’s hand in marriage as a reward. David asked, “Who am I. . . that I should become the king’s son-in-law?” (1 Samuel 18:18)
At Nathan’s prophecy of the continuation of David’s throne, the king responded, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my family that you have brought me this far?” (1 Chronicles 17:16)
When the people of Israel brought their wealth to contribute to the building of the Temple, David praised God and asked, “Who am I, and who are my people that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You and we have given only what comes from Your hand.” 2 Chronicles 29:14
Who am I?
The question runs deeper and begs a more definitive answer than any reference to a certain point in time. In Isaiah 43:1, God answers by saying to his people, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine.”
When I identify myself with the living God, my identity never changes. It is not based on what I’ve done, where I’ve been, or my family lineage. It is based solely on His grace, and it is eternal.
No matter how life changes, no matter the circumstance, I know exactly who I am. I am His.

In addition to being His, Mary L. Hamilton is an author who enjoys her family and the outdoors. She grew up at a camp much like the setting for her debut novel, Hear No Evil, Book 1 in the Rustic Knolls Bible Camp series. Her faith is a strong influence in her life and writing, along with her concern for young people growing up in today’s popular culture. She loves opening her home for youth Bible studies, pancake suppers and breakfast with her special recipe waffles. Mary and her husband live in Texas, within range of their three grown children. 

Connect with Mary on these sites:
Website (and blog): www.maryhamiltonbooks.com
Facebook: facebook.com/maryhamiltonbooks
Twitter: @mhamilton122