Have you ever had the lyrics of a song stuck in your head? Okay, but have you ever had them stuck there for two decades?

There’s a line from a song that I first heard about 20 years ago, that has just never left me. The song is Michael W. Smith’s “Place in this World”, and the line is deceptively simple:

…But this becoming is harder than it seems.

I wonder why these eight words have resonated with me through the seasons of my life – studying, marriage, career, parenthood and beyond.

When I first heard them I might even have scoffed a little. Becoming? What’s hard about becoming? My whole life lay ahead of me. I had dreams and some vague plans of how I would achieve them. More importantly, I had the innocent expectation that everything would work out just the way I wanted it to.

But over time I started to recognise the truth in the words: becoming is hard!

It took a few years, but I finally began to realise that becoming isn’t just about graduating and finding a job and following a dream. It’s not about becoming a teacher, accountant or parent (potentially easy, that one!)

Becoming is about discovering your true self – your passions and gifts, those things you might have covered over in the last few years, just so you would fit in.

Becoming is about dealing with the scars of your past, those things that could keep you from living fully in the future.

Becoming is about discerning what brings you joy and sharing it with a joy-starved world.

Becoming is about being good to people and accepting them, as you learn to accept yourself too.

Becoming is about the difference you make in this world, just by being in it.

Becoming is about your heart.

…But this becoming is harder than it seems.

My own journey of becoming had driven me straight into the arms of God. I reckon He knows me better than anyone and so He is the ideal one to have with me on this journey.

Still, it’s not easy becoming me.

How’s your becoming coming on?

Lyrics of “Place in this World”