Be All You Can Be

Today's Reading: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 *click here*

There is something that I struggle with- self esteem.  Most people have told me that it surprises them to hear it, but it's been true for as long as I can remember.  However, it hasn't been the case my whole life.  My mom will often tell me stories of how I used to buck tradition and throw caution to the wind.  One story that sticks out in my mind is one that happened when I was quite young a few weeks after Easter Sunday.  I wanted to wear my Easter bonnet to church.  Knowing that I didn't realize Easter bonnets were only for Easter and thinking I would feel awkward if I got to church and saw that no one else was sporting theirs my mom asked me "but what if you're the only one wearing yours?"  I simply replied "If someone else IS wearing their's I'm going to take mine off."
See I thrived in being different.  In standing out.  But somewhere along the way, the world told me that it wasn't ok.  And doesn't the world do that to everyone?  It is a place of negativity.  It isn't a place of beauty, it's a place of inadequacies and nay sayers.  The world tries to make you feel bad about yourself.  It tells you what beauty is, it tells you how to act, think and feel in order to bring you down to it's level, but children of God, we must fight back! 
God made us to be us, exactly who we are.  Are you a little awkward? It's ok.  Are you book smart in a crowd of crafters? Is your sense of humor or style a nitch off of everyone else's?  It's ok!  God wants you to be the best YOU.  The best you that He made you to be.  He doesn't want you trying to change yourself to form to someone else's mold.  He wants to you hone your skills and passions to serve Him.  He made us to lean on each other.  If we did everything perfectly, not only would we not need Him but we wouldn't need each other.  So next time you feel self conscious because you're not like everyone in the room, take a second to refocus your thinking and rejoice in the wonderful opportunity God has presented you with to join hands with others to make one big perfectly working body of Christ.