Monday, August 10, 2009

Unique Enough?

You knew them. Everyone knew them. The girls with the perfect clothes and hair that never caused a morning meltdown as she tried to tame it. The cool boys who laughed with the teachers, led other students on the field or in the halls. The cool kids. The "in" crowd.

Whatever you call them, every school had them. And, oh how I wanted to be them. I spent so much time drooling over and dreaming of their lives. Wishing my closet would suddenly be full of cool clothes. Hoping that today that cute popular boy would notice me. Silently begging that today that that girl would want to be my bestest friend.

That was exhausting, you know? And what's even worse...it never happened. I was always quirky, clumsy Wendy who knew lots of people but called very few "friend". I was different and I hated it.

Flash forward several years and something odd has happened. I fear I'm not different!!

How funny is that? As I sat in a room full of women all running hard after God and answering His call in their life I began to worry. All these women spread out at the tables in the writer's track at She Speaks and we all listened about how hard it is to be published and the hoops you have to jump through to even be considered.

And all I wondered was am I unique enough?

Do I have a something to bring to the table that no one else does?

Coming back home, I began looking around my life. Do I have what it takes to leave a mark for Jesus?

And I found the answer in my own words to someone else at She Speaks! (who knew I was so wise!?!?) We were discussing why people are called to come to the conference and this woman was the 3rd or 4th that told me it, "It sounds cliche, but...". As as she her story unfolded I sat riveted. When she was done I told her that I didn't think it was cliche.

Nothing God does is cliche!

His every breath is unique, creating. He spoke (breathed) our very world into existence. He breathed life into you and me. And every day, as we trudge around lost in our little worlds of traffic, laundry and email He is changing lives, healing hearts, and breathing love.

So, I am unique! And so are you! Where it like a crown, a heavenly crown that the world might see something different in you (that would be Jesus - smiles!).

6 comments:

Runner Mom said...

You are unique and precious! The daughter of a King!! And I am so very blessed to call you friend! You sweet thing!

Love you!
Susan

Paula V said...

Love how you related the peer pressure of high school and the adult pressures of an event like She Speaks. I've heard it said that whenever we compare ourselves to others we will always fall short. Comparing ourselves to anyone but Jesus is a very dangerous territory but oh so easy for us to do. I'm bad at it.

Marilyn in Mississippi said...

It's been 38 years since high school and I still find myself comparing myself with others. The devil just won't leave us alone will he? You have done a great job helping us to see that we in fact NEED to be different. As scripture says...we are "set apart"....a "peculiar people"...for God.

God bless!

Marilyn....in Mississippi

~Grace and Peace said...

Wendy,
Someone once asked if women ever really get out of high school? Up until recently I thought not but God showed me otherwise.

Amen, sister. We are all unique and specially made by God

Beams of Light Ministries said...

All I can say is "amen sister!"

Tracy Johnson said...

I am (obviously) looking at this from a different angle and having a belly laugh about it... we'll have to chat sometime...