These faces seem so unfamiliar… they look like they belong… I feel so out of place. So different. So “not” like them.
Is this feeling of exclusion always going to invade everything I do? I didn’t grow up happy… I didn’t grow up belonging… And now, here I am, middle aged, and I still feel like a stranger among friends. Will I ever get to the place where I don’t sit there and doubt every word I say, every emotion I feel, every choice?
I’m not sure what each day will bring. I think I know what God wants me to do, even though some days I feel horribly incompetent. One thing I am certain of– I know that each and every day is a new opportunity for me to start fresh.
I can’t change what happened ten, twenty, or thirty years ago… I can’t change the awkward thing I said or did five seconds ago… but I CAN make a conscious effort to try to make a difference to someone else- maybe there is someone out there like me, watching me, listening, and too afraid to say, “Hey, I understand you, I’ve gone through the same things!” After all, don’t we just want to be able to find someone who actually gets us, that doesn’t look at us like we are damaged?
My hope and prayer is that you, first of all, embrace your awkward self, your weirdness, your out of place personality, and realize that your ability to stand out in a crowd is a gift that can be used to bring in more people like you. You can be a leader, you can be the different one and, in fact, you are more like Jesus than you realize. YES- YOU!!
Do you think Jesus led people to know God by blending in? Do you think he would’ve gotten anyone’s attention by looking, acting, and being like everyone else? NO!!
So, today, take a moment and be thankful for being different. For once, realize that you will create change, you will impact lives, you will make a difference because of the fact that you don’t blend in with everyone else- and THAT is what makes you beautiful!!
Jeremiah 1:5 “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” So see, you weren’t meant to fit the mold- you were born to break it! You were born for more.
Prayers for peace, and I hope this message helped you today. Please share with someone you think needs to hear it, too.
Boss Lady Believer 