My dad had this white coffee mug. I remember staring at it during breakfast when I was young.

On the front of the glossy white ceramic was a cartoon drawing of a plump elephant, lying on his tummy. On the elephant’s back, on his head, on his trunk, and around him stood colorful turkeys, who somehow managed to look clueless and pleased with themselves at the same time.

Underneath this silly scene was the advice,

What does it mean to flourish in the Christian life?

Is it a season where things go exactly right? Or a moment you feel completely happy, healthy, and whole?

You and I both know things rarely go “exactly right.” And healing and growth are a journey – not a fixed point in time.

So, how do we flourish?

Most people are desensitized to the unofficial American greeting. "Who are you and what do you do?" is just a social nicety we expect.

We're even programmed to answer with short, clear phrases:

"I'm Jodi, home health care nurse."
"Katherine, divorced mom of one."
"It's Emily, blogger and church volunteer."

These post-comma words give us a feeling of security. They let us categorize an identity quickly and easily: "This is me in a nutshell."

But our short answers are never the whole story, are they?