%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 19 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /XObject << /I1 15 0 R /I2 16 0 R /I3 23 0 R /I4 24 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 17 0 R /GS2 18 0 R /GS3 21 0 R /GS4 22 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text /ImageC ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 1.0.2 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20250423172933+00'00') /ModDate (D:20250423172933+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 2464 >> stream xXˎW2)ih=$  j$EdVg8Ԝ{zYe$p[qιx$I~yQө̋xHg2 !+-^ھ.߉W7_nDIva1\Ӊ,pgrw TlE"gqyqM*2ʲ2i!oz}WRWV&2+(ãWGgL#pҳ?Z]Yz-vvxwLfovZE,橜̋7?aZ/L-+Zʋgk*-LG7zB>F+DXڍ 90Pɵl[?~'u+RVk8ᔩCJ7ƛg-=gjkj'VYZlt_i"**fY<~ucxb=` Xqh8MÝbXz|G FTa;8:"Tf,շ U9uVcSH\Q ~\bՃnNP`tY0N8n]Hš.]ZIUA5ig<@ncv,1B΋?(JEx9ji hym:PD&/'I] xCYkMpz32FV`fY`wG@/6I7ghiCc+SY"vd"QCRN@-,1'8 == `M!xz.|Dh89@} P!6`b  nǖ2KyK_8X !Uk9,;0/ba{܅~:^J/Lƅ4 !@_zm`6@|TＩkA "E$0ug0f9oWL}".'rG;ҷ:h[e;>k0 }nG?=f/SL !6Uy:_69m2zXgE5n,SjADe/G/ΊHg'4er}X = $W&,4Tp{dj>3 %5㑚@Rkz'ć*@䤌QS[bZ/5nkϐN\y۠UI+VTlz]6cπ $m E=J0J|rQ7­E ?:h:Qvih\ڎ=#s %7}xڷREY|YZ%a i> 9-"MFw!u[I7i5 Fv:v76}66E!Y^wqhzk0|pdRˈ/{u8$]QͰaMk@ZUk2] .46[ӏǘ:`wB7< VQ2FTG)u#„΀|`Hу=S \lЦČ; f-z-&nAh -4AѪq $] jHg)8l$]`䅡a,y$!@nڡD"mцn%` {*񡀆5^\}{h&q?)_jhd!j)-,ɯ3a';'Og2XlTNd<-f6n~2r^?Md1.~~ZTC_9wYڻ.\ΓRMs9GT,f{9|-COգo}vtb?nm endstream endobj 8 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F1 /BaseFont /Helvetica /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 20 0 R >> endobj 20 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 267 >> stream x=O0co;1#CV 1DmHJ\T~=v0">{wzN G0~M҇G͂2ba~䦄TG"WI|.ڍkTo=vttrrf A<ѐ h8V&NW!$Lĺ2íMֳ(™gcqܹ4Tnh&of ,/ %B@ODE߼/JMe5i/SقU\_\  endstream endobj 21 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 22 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 23 0 obj << /Type /XObject /Subtype /Image /Width 550 /Height 140 /Filter /FlateDecode /DecodeParms << /Predictor 15 /Colors 1 /Columns 550 /BitsPerComponent 8>> /ColorSpace /DeviceGray /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 5329>> stream xqDǯ뺒$ILfff&I335Lf2\3I2L&_3$3I$d+$\W=9y9lLss99P`0 `0 `0 `0 !U_:~u = F~sZŻدns⃪Qg¢G(F[-s͓^ DZ>d>3Dr#\OΉ, ZFwjux<;4Ƀxز#_v?nO<|{7c(b{Oū}w[N e~Hs䎷wwOn<1B.k+%U=eԘ -mCj)t:}c'ϓ*n"-ovkZ?R"V%wʶ7s]eX&eǕq` 1-2e JYHCFOUam 7:(Ԙt_@ހN t{B~ :V@}o#7!z^&zFL:ʤn X<- %"bNWqF c` M'4?cH-V`ǵAF>=#Ěm75dB I&7E5<>-͏їFǿl3M6x]Y&)2 FoΌ N.<t i4wL\^=_|Fo؏IȄ ik$ɄL?{?|tmCޮ=~T&iTevϷ'奔s?EꋄLPY͹箵?@L:Aˤ3y_:9AtA*0qVe- e6g)%a}.qKcI V/xʤzM|\ HSql0;*%+Mذ-闛obebu2iU&lLbtIcxb5^B#8 ޮaʻ _ w>j+L:$"&O;bZ K1 jmU玫ݢ=S/J<WO2'_yUPvp=`"aL5 Nl7"rlQT޼==-I[Se* F'(\`󴯉'{:נnVZ TG6*r$Tyx^LJū.C<3` %ANrxUo"˄ 0&$tO F&bIcW3GG͈ y!{m,LkCI d,(2"@ dR%F1thUL8Rݒ^+v9^?sʯYעDl~Qd" N2sc|ov}=F,3K#vxIvG^,[OM&wI[#,Jޙ\ض;L^fv[LbyYvM#/EI#/Zס$(ڼ ," &LK/IF i-Zx彰픢]MKeR n(PhV'LҸ\f$w/ e]"mɷWO߻˱ KerSPe (ӼGMȈ}X?ʍto7ZKl+81_Y&ǡd uʤ1Vw!sQ"/$zNkw(t)2BWQW"˄OXLp:e‡# וzn2F}qlc5ؾ:WH xLz LP:d# Q>(MRېd2Qt$o~R$YR5,-nޜLr_βehd" 2k1lvO X= eC p+[R=jU!֖}_DޟY2 (*wkZQ>Fl̲soR#^u3hhyTԲt.LtD8sk4z4Rbl@zp4hy0Tn\=.fnő Y/:TC9<@fSI$:QR/bq7DfR/ֻn)Vqd"䳽˄GL;ϝRG顼n&%Sv eFv,L"t}I&N> D73]$e)( ;]XhL`kSzJlcC$<)깍h}dr,1ܝRM뭍eMa $?e3f8΍҈&P(x+JU5{I 3 M- ;7|#G9 !\œ&=xp2,L{-`?OW":4uܚEadv ~9q.VdV%UT@73$@W¯B!ݒaVLH:!opr;gAɀiήpfߙR E/IDO*Luf0}{7mfyDxT.g)w5RvHx#Z]&M$ gZUTt+lZqZ_;a&JaG,-JLJDFIcV|:I3nB&;N0Lna=Y_Gl,p5,,kc EKgd;2vt7selT9˸sX޲.6r<1!| L0lTMS1?Xsf cq )KSgBB&׭x. v c@^Yk΀v],E[ɾ QhYyXXC2)g/J@su1ScL, ?C[{V2i͛!סӠ&> 6lu>4Ƕʤ|=12鱧l{^:a/Y%~].26G: p^CZ V&Vedҟ?RrX7d#I]ՕuL1 ?_ /12IEh ̴b<ӯ^e _ϝ䰻^]vy> /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB /BitsPerComponent 8 /Length 873>> stream x1j08-K/)],) &gi+:U̲\"9H!@"9H!@"9H!@eY.Z[p_E{QHKV[/`j%ʒcP,SX4W{7urd5ɱPr:-ֆʇX$$zfZpClbw7z{[]qGlwlGlZiM,ߺ7x}w` L9=3zpWL9 j)ۓB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$e]k` B$ DrB$ DrB$ DrB$/؋ endstream endobj xref 0 25 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000461 00000 n 0000000498 00000 n 0000000647 00000 n 0000000750 00000 n 0000003287 00000 n 0000003394 00000 n 0000003502 00000 n 0000003612 00000 n 0000003725 00000 n 0000003841 00000 n 0000003870 00000 n 0000003980 00000 n 0000009555 00000 n 0000010686 00000 n 0000010745 00000 n 0000010804 00000 n 0000010909 00000 n 0000011249 00000 n 0000011306 00000 n 0000011363 00000 n 0000016938 00000 n trailer << /Size 25 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<52cc7bf4276dc94567eaa15bf41a586d><52cc7bf4276dc94567eaa15bf41a586d>] >> startxref 18069 %%EOF On the Corner | Caring Magazine

Vol. #28

Grace Uncovered

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

On the Corner

September 12, 2001
3 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

BY ROBERT DOCTER – 

So who are you?

Got any idea?

Who defines you–I mean that voice in your inner ear that repeats on closed-loop tape your every strength and weakness?

Are you held captive to that voice–locked away with a rigid perception of yourself–feeling bound by a series of cans and can’ts–of shoulds and shouldn’ts–of nevers and always and musts and mustn’ts?

If I were to search every aspect of you–who would I find? Do you know? How much of you is simply and completely you–and how much is actually involved in living out the expectations of someone else?

Let’s face it. We’re human. Our interactions with others at key stages of our lives have shaped the way we perceive ourselves–the way we label ourselves–our attitudes toward ourselves and others.

But how much does that interaction imprison you? Maybe you find yourself deep down in solitary –defined completely by others? You’ll never be able to answer that “imprisoned” question without making a significant effort to start with answering the first one at the top of this column. You’ll never be fully authentic or completely genuine as a person without first figuring out what keeps you inauthentic.

For instance, how do you conceptualize yourself–in other words, what kinds of labels do you use to describe yourself to yourself? What kinds of feelings do you have about yourself–positively optimistic or negatively pessimistic?

You’ve got to figure out who’s calling the shots in your life and kick your own contribution well up over the fifty percent mark. You can speak up to these other voices. Maybe you’ll want to thank them –or maybe you’ll want to tell them to lighten up, that you can handle things–that you appreciate their interest, but it’s time you became a little more autonomous on your road to authenticity.

Remember, if you’re not authentic–you’re a fake.

Now–what about you from a spiritual perspective? Spirituality is an aspect of our lives, you know –or do you? Do you ever talk to God? Do you believe he’s there for you? Do you ever stop asking him for things and just take time to explore yourself with him? Do you ever stop talking to him and listen?

God will not impose himself on us. He comes on request. But if you knock on his door, he’ll open it. Who will he find there? Will he know you? If you really want to know and understand God better–start with knowing yourself better. If you know yourself, you can quiet the noise in your life sufficiently to hear what he has to say. You can still the other voices in your head to give him pre-eminence.

Maybe God’s the one with the key to that prison cell–to free us from the shackles of inauthenticity–to open the doors that we have constructed in our lives designed to limit us from being truly real–genuinely autonomous. We get to know God better as we know ourselves better–and it’s synergistic–as we get to know ourselves better, we know God better–and the sum is greater than the parts.

Because Jesus was fully human he experienced all the joys and sorrows life provides. He knew what it was like to be disappointed–to be misunderstood–to be taken for granted–to have great expectations placed upon him–demands made of him–to be loved and admired and worshiped. He knew what it felt like to be crucified.

As we experience the integrated aspects of the God-head in us and are confronted by the essence of this being, who we truly are is illuminated. We discover that part of us that is real–that part of us that is fake. From that point on, we have a choice. To take what we discover and grow or to ignore it and wither.

Can we say with the Psalmist:

Search me o God and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

I hope so!

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like