What's Normal, Anyway?
Many people spend their lives wondering if they're normal or wanting to be, hoping to fit in. To be part of the crowd. You have probably experienced this tension in both middle school and high school. To feel a sense of belonging, you wore the same jeans, the same backpack, and the same hairstyle as everyone else. Or maybe you like the same music, hated the same classes, and acted as bored or dramatic as those around you. The pull to belong and be normal impacts our lives everyday. It's funny, the particulars of being normal are always changing. Although the word technically means "conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; regular," it means something different depending on the ever-changing whims of society, culture and generations. The essence of normal is the status quo, being just like everyone else-in how we look, what we wear, what we like, what we buy, what we watch, where we go on vacation, what we do for fun. Being normal is safe. And easy. It doesn't require much work or effort or change on our part. But it always leads to mediocrity. When we strive to be just like everyone else, we never have a chance to be special. When you start to embrace and even celebrate how special and different God made you, you can begin to do extraordinary things. You can begin to see yourself through His eyes. You can begin to live in the uniqueness with which you were created. You can be motivated and inspired to go against the grain. What does that mean? When everyone around you is picking on someone, stand up for that person. When everyone around you is using foul language, say kind things. When you see injustice and everyone else turns a blind eye, try to make it right. Going against the norm can also mean having a different outlook then others. You matter too much to God to be just like everyone else.
Celebrate Unique
One way to get remember that you are special it to get these things engraved in your mind.
"God has a special plan for you."
"You are not like everyone else."
"You are unique."
It's time to circle back to our identity in God. He created each of us in a unique way for a reason. We are each different in how we look, how we think, how we create, how we process information. We also have different life experiences. I like to think of parts of the Bible as a collection of love letters He wrote for his children. One of them powerfully paints a picture of how wonderful we are, of how special He purposely made us. In this Psalm, the writer reflects on this truth.
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother's womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my should knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;
And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.
Whatever obstacles you are facing, whatever struggle you have with not fitting in, whether you feel you aren't pretty enough, strong enough, big enough, fast enough, or smart enough, know that God created you perfect. You are wonderfully made. You are skillfully made. You are not an accident. You are not a mistake. Don't get beat down by the stares, whispers, or obnoxious opinions of others who point out how different you are, look, or act. They don't know God's plan for your life. They don't know how God can use what they may view as a weakness. When you being to accept how God purposely created you, you can begin to appreciate your uniqueness and allow Him to use those gifts. God gave you whatever challenges you have for a reason. If you're feeling discouraged, trust His character. Trust that He has your best interest at heart. He has a better outcome for your life than you can imagine. His love is perfect. And He loves you perfectly. We may see ourselves as unworthy, unusable, flawed, or broken, but God looks at us as shining stars. He thinks about us all the time, countless thoughts are precious, beloved. It may not be the easiest thing to do each day, but trust God and His heart for you. Know that He's got a plan. Know that there is something beautiful and purposeful about what you may perceive as a shortcoming.
What You Have To Offer
Think about what you're good at, the unique traits that are hardwired in you. Think about what you love to do. Instead of wanting to be like someone else, make the most of your talents, The Bible teaches us that "as each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. "The Christian faith is about living life with an open hand, using the gifts and blessings in our lives for others. Like a conveyor belt, we simply get to touch the blessings and the gifts as they keep moving out toward others. We are blesses to be a blessing. When we stop the flow, the blessings stop." Don't hold on to your gifts. Share them. Use them to serve. Use them to aim above the status quo and make a difference. Don't strive to be like someone else. Be who God created you to be. Be you. One more thing. Let God be God. Allow Him to use what you bring to Him however He chooses. There's nothing wrong with dreaming big. I do this all the time. But how God ultimately orchestrates the plan for you life though these gifts is up to him. Work on your gifts and talents in a way that challenges you. Don't compare your skill level to anyone else. When we do this, sometimes it makes us want to give up. It's okay to be the best, but it's more important to want to be your best. I promise you this: God will use your gifting and abilities in His way and for His plan. It might be to influence one person or a million. Rather than focus on trying to figure it out or influence how He will make it happen, focus on Him.
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