Whose Shadow Are You In?

Something caught my eye the other day as I was taking an ordinary walk with my dog in the neighborhood. I noticed a white daisy and its shadow falling quietly and softly on a brick wall.

There was something striking about this flower and its shadow. Though the flower was what we’d think of as an ordinary daisy, I saw its unique beauty; the strikingly smooth white petals against its textured, colorful center with hues of purple and a yellowy orange. And then my eyes fell to its one-dimensional shadow.

This is where my ordinary walk took a turn.  : )

I wondered for a moment how much of another’s shadow do I desire to be in? Do we desire to be in?

The answer to this question might vary depending on our personality: quiet, shy, loud, attention-loving, introvert, extrovert, etc. Regardless of our personalities, some of us may feel more comfortable in the shadow of another, remaining in the background, hidden.

For those who feel more comfortable in the shadows, it might be beneficial to reflect on why. Do we see God’s hand on how he has uniquely made us? Are we afraid to step out into our unique calling utilizing the gifts and talents he has given us?

I am not equipped to address the reasons why some of us may desire to remain in the shadows of another, but I do want to reflect on whose shadow we are to be in.

As image bearers of God (Genesis 1:26), we each possess something of him that is beautifully unique to us.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”   –Psalms 139:13-16

Knowing God knitted each one of us in our mother’s womb is a comfort and assurance that we are uniquely his, desired by and for him.

We also know that our unique talents and gifts reflect the diverse functions in the body of Christ.

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.

If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”  –1 Corinthians 12:12-25

One distinction may not need to be said, but I will say it anyway: Just because we do not desire to be in a highly visible, upfront role, does not mean we desire to be a shadow. And just because we are not in a leadership role, does not mean we are in one’s shadow. Whatever part of the body of Christ God has created us to be in is where we get to express who God is as his image bearer while we serve him, love him, and love others.

But, whose shadow should we be in? There is only One in whose we ought to be in. As the Psalmist says,

“Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence…” Psalm 17:8

“How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” Psalm 36:7

“My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.” Psalm 63:5-7

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.” (Psalm 91:1)

God’s shadow offers us his protection and provision, the most comforting and secure place to be!

Side note: I realize the bible also describes our life as a shadow, a mist, with a temporary existence here on earth. “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” Psalm 144:4

This verse can be discouraging knowing we are but a breath. But! The comfort we do have is that God created us as eternal beings.

Two kinds of eternity are at hand for us: eternal life with or eternal separation from God.

We know eternal life is only through Jesus Christ. Reading the book of John in the bible is a great place to start in understanding this truth.

As Jesus shared with the thirsty women at the well, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

The beauty of a vibrant flower and its shadow will not last but we, God’s creation, do get to experience a lasting relationship with our Creator through Christ. And though our uniquely created life has purpose in the here and now, we can remain in the safety of his shadow until we pass into the next phase of eternity.