Celebrate Your Originality

"Nature arms each man with some faculty which enables him to do easily some feat impossible to any other." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

When I was in seminary, I remember having a discussion with a classmate of mine. She worked as an anger management counselor in the prison system. She worked with men who had committed violent crimes. She was a tiny woman - very petite and extremely pretty. When I looked at her, I wondered where she found the nerve to work with these rough guys.

As she and I chatted, she let me know that she'd heard about how much time I spent working in the Middle East. She marveled at what I do, and said, "I could never do that! I would be so afraid to go there!"

Here I was looking at her, wondering how she found the strength and courage to do what she does... and she was thinking the exact same thing about me.

We laughed about how we each are 'fearless' about what we do, but couldn't imagine stepping in to each other's shoes.

God gives each one of us the special 'package' that we need in order to make the contribution we are supposed to make to life. We don't get what other people get. They don't get what we get. At least not in the same exact configuration.

We should celebrate and embrace our uniqueness and be grateful for all the people who do the things we can't. It makes the world go round!