The Joy of an Enduring Identity

When Life’s Roles Change, God’s Definition of Us Remains

By Gail Goolsby

“As a widow, a single woman once again, I just feel like I don’t fit anywhere. I feel married but I am not part of a couple any longer. I need to redefine myself in so many ways, which is hard at my age.”

“Sometimes I wonder what is left for me since my children do not need me anymore.”

“For years I knew where I belonged, what my work and identity involved. I had a team who shared my vision for building relationships with our Chinese students at the English Center I supervised. Now, I feel lost. I am back in the American house and city I grew up in, caring for my aging mother. No one here knows me as an adult, an independent woman, an overseas worker, or understands the life I have left.”

These clients of various ages reflected vulnerably with me on the challenging question held in the heart of most women. What defines my value and true identity?

Marriage? Motherhood? Ministry? Missions?