Differences

Hello everyone,

Thank goodness it's the weekend. It's been a very busy week with everything going on in my life. I barely have any time for myself anymore; it's a definite change from before. I'm still adjusting to everything myself. I guess that's a part of being an adult. Not a fun part. But an important part in itself, knowing that you have people counting on you every day to do your very best work. It's a big responsibility, but I know I'm up to the challenge. Anyway, since free time is difficult to find any more, I thought I would get a early start on next week. (Speaking of difficult, I am finding myself at a loss for topics. So if anyone has any ideas for me, please give me a holler. After all, this blog is for you, not only me.. I think I have tried to reiterate this point to my readers several times)

On to today's post..

Let me begin with the question.

What makes us different? I mean, really. I'm not talking about disabilities now. I'm speaking more in a broad sense. By that I mean, what makes one person unique, separate from another person? Is it our eye color, hair color and personality that makes sense unique or do our is differences go deeper than that? If you are anything like me, you probably believe that someone made you the way you are for a reason. Now, stay with me here. I'm not using this blog to preach my beliefs, by any means because honestly a relationship with Jesus is not something someone should take lightly. It is a personal matter. Anyway, where was I going with this? The point is, as I was thinking about the differences in people, a specific verse came to mind. It is:Psalms 139. I won't go through the whole thing, but here's what it says in part.

Psalms 139, verse 1-5 says:

"For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. "

Later on in the passage, David continues with his thoughts regarding being uniquely created. He continues in verses 13 through 15 saying:

" For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. "

My point in saying all this.. well. It's quite simple really. Everyone is different and we are made differently for a reason. There are no mistakes in the way we were made and it's about time we start appreciating our differences for what they are. Gifts.

Okay, so this idea differences as gifts wasn't all my usual way of thinking. But a recent who documentary on HBO family got me wondering. The show highlighted children with a variety of differences (I'm not limiting myself to disability, but also unique talents that are not often seen).

As one child puts it, "Everyone is special in their own kind of way,"

Henry Anderson is just another example. Unlike most boys, he is interested in ballet and dance. He has been dancing for seven years, since he was four years old.

10-year-old Patrick is another example of how differences don't have to overwhelm your life. Although Patrick is blind, he goes to a regular school and likes to be seen as a regular kid. Having to read using braille may seem a hassle to most kids. But he chooses to see the many good sides to his disability.

"Since I use my fingers, I can read in the dark without my parents noticing," he said

Eight-year-old Erin often gets asked why she is the way she is. Being little, this is often a difficult question to answer. Her reply:

"That's just the way I was made ."

When asked about how to cope with one's differences, one child simply replied: "Don't let them (other people) get you down, just stand tall."

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Citation for TV Program: "Happy to Nappy and other stories of me", HBO Family channel 309 at 6:55 p.m., October 14, 2007. (Original air date: February 24, 2004 )