Plunkett Writes

Who Am I Now That So Much Has Changed?

This reflection explores how life’s changes reshape identity, drawing on Esther and Jacob’s journeys to show that resilience, faith, and core values guide us in embracing who we are becoming.

Identity in Change

We ask this question on life’s journey not once, but many times. Why? Because life changes. Life is not static. And in those shifting moments, we change—sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Much has happened to us this year, the year before that, and even now. These experiences push us to change or force us to make changes. Change shapes our lives.

Sometimes we do not recognize the person we’ve become. We feel different—unfamiliar even. Other times we are stunned and wonder when it happened. At what moment did the shift occur? Was it through the hurt, the pain, the shame? Was it the grief when Mom died? Did it happen when opportunity knocked—when we missed it, or when we finally grasped it?

We stand at yet another crossroads—and these come more often than we expect—where we must define this new version of ourselves.

Scripture shows us the journeys of people whose lives changed in ways that redefined their identity and empowered them to release the old and embrace the new. They stepped into new roles, expanded their beliefs, and grew in knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. They learned discretion, embraced impartiality, and developed discernment that shaped their decisions and relationships.

Some experienced gradual change with gradual growth. Others faced dramatic change under pressure, which produced maturity, decisiveness, and the determination to move forward despite obstacles. Some created the change they needed by receiving clarity from God, advisors, mentors, colleagues, family, and friends. They built resilience.

Embracing a New Name Without Losing Your Core

Esther emerged as Queen in Shushan. She was Hadassah within her family and community, known among her peers. Then everything shifted. She became one of the women chosen to vie for the crown—to become the new queen of the land (Esther 2:7–17). She entered this arena not as Hadassah, but as Esther. She was no longer the plain young girl in her community; she was now a star within her nation.

She was Queen of Shushan and wife of Ahasuerus. Her roles shifted, and she too changed. She was no longer behind the scenes but at the forefront of a whole nation. Her every move scrutinized, admired, or criticized. Have you ever been there? I believe she felt uncertainty many times as she adjusted and tried to figure out how she would navigate this new space.

Yet while she stepped into her new role, she could not forget the old. She was still Hadassah. Her uncle had to remind her of this when her people needed her. For a moment, she buried who she was to live out the new version—but that is not a requirement to serve the people who need you most. It is okay to leave behind the things that no longer serve who you are now or where you are going, but there are core values that must remain. It is okay to embrace the reality of who you are now—Queen Esther—but remember you are still Hadassah. Embrace all the parts of yourself in this season and move forward.

Esther devised a strategy that clearly came from the core of who she was. She told the people to fast for three days with her, and then she would go in to the king concerning the matter at hand. We know her famous line: “If I perish, I perish” (Esther 4:14–16). She recognized that who she was now, with all that had happened, was not only Queen Esther or Hadassah, but someone who had come to the kingdom for such a time as this.

Transformation Through a Lifetime of Change

In contrast, Jacob’s journey unfolded in a very different direction. He was known as a trickster—and maybe that reputation was earned. However, Scripture shows us a man who, over more than twenty years, walked through layer after layer of change. His transformation did not happen in a single moment; it unfolded through a lifetime of consequences, encounters, responsibilities, losses, and revelations (Genesis 27–50).

Here are just some of the shifts he experienced:

His life was full of highs and lows—and on the surface, it may seem like the lows outweighed the highs. Yet before he died, Jacob testified that the God of his fathers had been with him through it all. He left home as Jacob, but he returned as Israel. And if he could speak to us today, he would say that of all the changes he endured, his encounters with God shaped him the most.

Which long, layered changes in your life are quietly forming a new name in you?

Naming Who We Are Now

Change informs who we are in this very moment. I may not know every detail of what has shifted in your life, but I know this: those changes have shaped you. Esther and Jacob—though their stories differ—emerged with new skills, deeper emotions, stronger faith, and resilience forged through pressure. They stepped into new seasons with new dynamics, and so have you.

Look closely and you will see it. Like me, you are strong, brave, resilient, discerning, and wise. Notice the skills that have surfaced, the emotions that were once hidden, the way you now process information and ideas. Through my own changes, though not an expert, I became a website builder—something that wasn’t even on my horizon a year ago. The resilience I’ve built is what carries me as I step into this new dimension by the will and Word of God.

So who am I now that so much has changed? I am prepared and ready to help those who were like me—those running, hiding, or standing at their own crossroads. And as I step into this new season, I recognize that I too have come to this moment for such a time as this.

Your Invitation to the Journey

If you’re standing at your own crossroads, this is your moment. For the next 52 weeks, I’ll be sharing reflections, tools, and truths to help you strengthen your resilience, deepen your faith, and walk with clarity into who you are becoming. You were not meant to navigate change alone—let’s journey together, one lighted step at a time.

May you be steady in change, clear in calling, and bold in your “now.”

This reflection is part of my author journey at Plunkett Writes. You can also follow along on Instagram @plunkettwrites where I share my writing journey.