Sunday, January 25, 2009

On Being Peculiar.

This morning's sermon kicked off a series on leadership (aptly named "Purple People Leader"-- I love our church! Oh, and you can watch the sermons online at that link, too. Today's will be on later this week.) And, like always, it couldn't have come at a better time. Bryan has been frustrated at work with leadership issues, and, well, let's face it; I'm always frustrated with a variety of issues, so everything kind of fits the bill for me.

It must be Divine Intervention, that each sermon seems tailored to our needs :)

So, today Pastor Steven talked about God's people being a "peculiar" people...drawing the line between peculiar and just plain weird. And our needing to embrace our uniqueness because that is what our Father intended for us. There were already all of them out there before we were created...why do we feel the need to fit in rather than be exceptionally peculiar?

Because who doesn't? I mean, who doesn't try to do things simply because that is what you do? I'm not saying that we should all go against the grain and be strange for the sake of being strange...but why the compulsion to follow regardless if what your following falls in line with your beliefs?

Why do we wear masks when we face the world, pretending that everything is completely Stepford in our lives when it is very far from it? Why can't we take those masks off and learn from and support each other? Why the need to pretend that we fit into the mold?

I'm just as guilty as anyone else...I'm definitely not pointing fingers. I'm just wondering what it would be like if everyone was more honest with themselves and with each other, and everyone embraced their exceptionality as a tool to be used to better the world around them.

And I guess that brings me to (of course) the Down syndrome connection. It's not anything that I haven't been told already, but sitting in church today it hit me as truth. That God's plan for Chase is His own absolutely unique plan for Chase. And he doesn't fit into any mold, and he's not going to do things like other kids, but he's going to develop and grow and affect people in a way that is his own peculiar way, which is something that nobody, no one at all, can do like he will.

2 comments:

April said...

Yes!!! It took me awhile to come to the terms that no matter what I wanted, God made Lindsay just perfectly. He molded her to be exactly who she is today. I know he made her unique so that she may affect the lives of everyone around her. He doesn't make mistakes. I know He has great things planned for her life. I know he has great things planned for Chase too!!

Chris said...

Amen!

What more is there to say? You are right, Chase has and will continue to make this mark on this world. The mark may be more subtle, and you may miss it if you don't look in the right places, but it will be there and it will be beautiful. Well look at that, I guess I did have more to say.