We All Wanna Be Somebody

I've been hearing a song on the radio lately that makes me think of Once Upon A Time whenever I hear it.  The song is by Thousand Foot Krutch and contains a line that encompasses one of the main themes of the show: We all wanna be somebody; we just need a taste of who we are.

Specifically, it makes me think of the episode a couple of weeks ago when we got to know some of Ruby's (Red Riding Hood) back story.  When faced with the challenge of taking on more responsibility, she freaks out and lets her fear of failure convince her to run away.  In an attempt to find some job she can do, she winds up with Emma, which leads to an opportunity to discover some aspects of her true identity.  When she is truly needed, when she alone has the skills to accomplish the task, she gets a taste of who she is.

The interesting thing, though, is that Henry helps to orchestrate that moment.  Because he has the book of stories, he knows Ruby's true identity, and he knows he she can help.  Sound familiar?

God is Henry... only He's actually writing the story, not just reading it.  And, more importantly, He created us.  He knows exactly who we are.  He knows how our skills and abilities can be used in the moments when we are most needed.  He even orchestrates those moments to give us a taste of who we are.  He wants us to live as we were created to be, not under the curse of ignorance like the characters in Storybrooke.  He even gives us a book of stories meant to help us discover our true identities.  We have a role to play in the greater story God is writing... and until we start taking the steps to figure out what that role is, we're stuck in our version of Storybrooke, living by the rules of someone who cares only for their own happiness.