I’ve had this thought many times. Most recently, it occurred to me as I was in the check-out line at The Dollar Store. The clerk was a slightly overweight, 20-ish female with multiple body piercings and purple highlighted hair. As we briefly chatted, those oft-repeated questions bubbled to the surface of my mind again.
Why was I born me and not her? Why wasn’t I born at another place, in another time, in another body? Why wasn’t someone else born in this body?
Let me point out that I am not equipped to answer these questions. They are way above my pay grade. However, I have a few rambling thoughts that may help you in your own quest.
I believe that these questions point to something that we intuitively believe to be true: that the essence of who we are is not physical. In other words, if we can imagine that our “self” could be in another body, then we apparently suspect that our “self” is not a physical, material entity. Rather, it suggests our belief in that “self” is an immaterial being that might transcend the physical. We apparently believe in an immaterial existence. We intuitively believe there is more than the physical world.
I also believe our questioning suggests that we suspect there might be an overarching purpose for us. When we ask “why,” we are hoping to discover if there is a reason that explains our existence as it is. Is there a reason why I was born a white male; or a black female; or a European; or an Eskimo?
This “searching for a reason” has important implications. It concludes that if there is a reason, then there must be a Living Mind that has designed that reason. That is because anything that has been designed must have originated from something living. For example, a painting is designed by a painter; a building is designed by a builder; even a simple bird’s nest is the product of a living being. Non-living material will never design anything – ever.
Although I cannot answer the question of why you are you, I can tell you why I believe that you even ask. I do not believe it is a coincidence that you wonder about yourself. Rather, I believe that our Creator has built within us certain desires and questions which ultimately were meant to lead us to Him.
We were wired to find Him.
peace,
dane
Dane Cramer is a Christian blogger, backpacker, amateur filmmaker, volunteer jail chaplain and author of two books: Romancing the Trail and The Nephilim: A Monster Among Us.