“To be nobody but
yourself in a world
which is doing its best day and night to make you like
everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”
― e. e. cummings
Did you know there is only one “you” in the world? You are God’s unique masterpiece.
In a world that screams for conformity and demands that we meet other people's expectations, it can be hard to be you. I think of the story told by psychologist and spiritual writer Anthony de Mello:
A woman suddenly stops a man walking down the street and says, “Henry, I am so happy to see you after all these years! My, how you have changed. I remember you as being tall, and you seem so much shorter now. You used to have a pale complexion, and it is really so ruddy now. Good grief, how you have changed in five years!” Finally, the man gets a chance to interject, “But my name isn’t Henry!” To which the persistent woman calmly responds, “Oh, so you changed your name too!”
Some people will never really see us. It hurts. It can feel lonely. But when we claim our belovedness, not only do we feel the joy of living authentically, we find a strength that changes us and the world around us.
I love how Brennan Manning puts it: “What makes the Kingdom come is heartfelt compassion: a way of tenderness that knows no frontiers, no labels, no compartmentalizing, and no sectarian divisions. Jesus, the human Face of God, invites us to deep reflection on the nature of true discipleship and the radical lifestyle of Abba’s child.”
Our great truth is that we are all masterpieces. We don’t need others to tell us that. The one who truly matters has already spoken. As the Psalmist says, “You are wonderfully made.”
Today may your day be full of self-compassion and compassion for those walking their own journey to discover their belovedness. And may you find strength in your uniqueness. All the other jobs are filled. The world needs you to be fully you.
With love and prayers,
Chip