I was ordinary in so many ways
not the best or brightest
not the worst or dullest
not the oldest
not the youngest
my composition so much working class
and small-town somebodies
Born a girl
raised fatherless
but not an orphan
penny pinching but not penniless
clothes from catalogues
before that was a thing
My gifts I squandered,
tossing my pearls before so many swine
not considering their value
not considering my value
not knowing my purpose
not knowing His purpose
not comprehending His plans
I was someplace
not a bad place
but not my place
I had a someone
not a bad one
but not the right one
I was encouraged to take credit
self-made
self-supporting
self-reliant
self-focused
eyes on self
I did
I got
I wanted
I became
An “I”-problem stole my life
a life of glory thievery
nearly kept me from the King of glory
from whole life
healed life
abundant life
God-driven life
God-centered life
God-filled future
I stole His glory
I stole from myself
I stole my chance to bring glory
to be a glory giver
not a glory thief
to know the glorious One
to serve the King of glory
**Glory thief – one who steals for himself the glory that belongs to God
I am the Lord, that is My Name; My glory I will not give to another.
Isaiah 42:8a
Rooted and Grounded 
I love how you have given this condition that is part of fallen human nature a name and brought it out into the open. It is so much easier to ignore our sin when we pretend it isn’t that bad. Your title will stick with me.
Thanks for the encouragement. I heard or read someone use the term, and sadly, I knew it applied to me.
Wow. So well put. This is so true of us all. Thank you so much for being so truthful in your writings.