“For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and of discovering my true self. Trees and animals have no problem. God makes them what they are without consulting them, and they are perfectly satisfied. With us it’s different. God leaves us free to be whatever we like. We can be ourselves or not, as we please. But the problem is this: Since God alone possesses the secret of my identity, he alone can make me who I am.” (Thomas Merton, Seeds of Contemplation)
St. Paul says, “By the grace of God, I am what I am.” When I struggle to find my true self, I often find myself full of self or ego that drives me to nowhere. By knowing that I am in the hands of God, I don’t need to move or become or do something desirable. I simply practice sitting in peace day after day, trusting like a tree blooming in a right season. Its green is greener than I know.