Delighting in Differences

I moved to a new place. A new city, a new state. Everyone is new to me, and I to them. Conversations commonly involve my new friends asking questions like:

“Wait, I just have to clarify, is that actually what you do? Are you making this up?”

 “Hold on, did that actually happen? Are you just trying to pull my leg?”

Several years ago, these kinds of questions were the worst—they made me feel so “different”—it was isolating. Now, such questions bring me joy. There is so much beauty in how DIFFERENT our lives ARE. What is extraordinary and different in our lives can become so ordinary—we become so used to it—we forget how incredible and interesting it all is. The asking of these questions serves as a reminder to come out of myself—to open my eyes to the reality surrounding me. How strange my “job description” appears, and how incredible it is that I am alive and well!

My life is so, so simple. I exist, I pray, I make things, and I go places. At the core, all of our lives are so simple. But there is so much depth in each one of us—such mystery that no one else could ever fully grasp. Not being understood can be a difficult reality (at least, it has been for me), but also so beautiful. We may be blessed to relate to another on different levels based on our personal experiences, but we could never fully claim to understand another person.

I am so intrigued by the lives of others—our different combinations of experience, temperament, family, skill, tragedy, interest, personality, travel, etc. Everything in our personal lives is so intertwined, making us so unique. It truly fascinates me that—though we are each a unique reflection—we are all still reflections of the Image of God. Through our lives, we reflect His Goodness, Truth, and Beauty. It looks differently in each of us—because we are different! We will reach different people—because we will relate to different people. It is so cool!

Stop telling yourself that your life is boring or unimportant. You reflect God. God is not boring. Simple, but not boring. A mirror reflects that towards which it faces. Turn towards God. Reflect Him. Share Him through your life. With Him, it is simple. You are never too little—or too much.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness..’”

Genesis 1: 26

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