there's a box!?

so of late i've been trying to figure out how to describe myself to people that i meet for the first time. i usually start with jesus follower, then husband, and artist but beyond that i find difficulty in nailing myself into a category (such a modern concept anyway, for a postmodern world...) but anywho  i'm drawn to this self category that first made an appearance in the 40's ;"hipster". this term

 i came to learn this morning refers to : 

In the late 1990's and early 2000's, the 1940's slang term hipster or scenester began being used to describe young, well-educated urban middle and upper class adults with leftist and/or liberal social and political views and interests in a non-mainstream fashion and cultural aesthetics. Actually defining what a hipster is can be a difficult task considering that idea that hipsters are thought to exist as a "mutating, trans-Atlantic melting pot of styles, tastes and behavior(s)." Nonetheless hipsters are often associated with non-mainstream music and film and other products such as second-hand and or vintage clothing.  

-Wikipedia

 

 while this is by no means a full and complete description, as is usually the problem with boxing oneself into a single category, it fairly well defines who i think i am [or at least who i think i'm becoming]. for instance:: 

 i sit here and type in in my little ratty coffee shop in chicago,

 

having ridden here on my stripped down single speed bike,

 

listening to indie music, with my torn second hand jeans, shirt, shoes, bag...the list goes on. 

i'm coming to realize that it is human nature to want to categorize, to box in, to limit ourselves, others and even god. i struggle with seeing myself as god sees me. understanding that he sees [at least as much as i can understand] people as his children, broken yes, messy sure, but loved absolutely. no boxes. so many days i struggle to find the courage to walk in the knowledge of my creators view of me. feeling the weight of such unrelenting love on god's part, such personal failure on my part, and such a limited understanding of both. the challenge i find myself facing now is 'how do i define myself, others and god, knowing even the smallest things we know about god?' is there any reason to define? the great quote rings true again in my mind, if we are to define ourselves then "define yourself radically, as one beloved by god." 

not sure where that leaves me other than sitting on a couch, in a coffee shop, with the sun on my shoulders and a full heart knowing that the creator of the universe, loves. much love friends....