Letting Me Be

None of us are good at being someone else.  Some tolerate it better than others, but no one is a genuine success at it.  There are many reasons for this, but one is certainly that such an attempt is a betrayal of self.

It may be a simple observation, but I am amazed at how everyone looks different.  God made us that way. Different. Certain variables defy observation, but we are unique within and without.  I believe God made originals because His greatness and glory cannot be defined and portrayed to the world in one likeness.  God is big.

Many of us have emulated others while navigating the stages of life.  For awhile, we don’t know who we are because we are still developing. We are learning.  In ways, however, the individual asserts itself rather early. The self needs direction, to be sure, but it does not need to be pressed into a temporal mold.  We will meet failure and frustration if we are not self-determined. In other words, we are our best when we are allowed to be ourselves. All of this assumes we are following God’s will and direction as sincere believers.

One reason we fail at imitation is that we really don’t know how to be anyone else.  In the old Peanuts comic strip, Lucy said to Linus, “You’ve got your shoes on the wrong feet.”  Linus stared down for a moment, then replied, “These are my feet!” My attempts looked good in the mirror but came off badly.  David could not wear Saul’s armor, and you look better in your own clothes. God made us for freedom, and this is part of it. I worked for a preacher who said, “I’d rather make my own decisions and make them wrong than have somebody else make my decisions for me.”  Ditto.

You are unique.  That means rare, and rare means valuable.  There’s not a lot of tolerance for people who want to express their “uniqueness,” but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.  Be fearless, but be careful. I say that because some may be tempted to act as though the feelings of others don’t matter. Self-expression cuts both ways.  I wish we understood that. Then, we could be considerate, compassionate and compelling at once. As such, we would be fulfilled- maybe even happy. Effectiveness would follow because we would be genuine in our efforts.  God blesses authentic efforts.

Sometimes, I wonder how I may have harmed others by attempting to force them to be other than themselves.  I know I have been injured by same. Human nature, perhaps, makes us want to control our surroundings and relationships.  Like spreading trees, we tend to shade out other plants.

On the other hand, I have been blessed with friends who have supported me, encouraged me and even allowed me to be myself without judgment or condescension.  And they break my heart. For accepting me, I want to say, “Thank you.”

Sterl