Wishes...

Have you ever had this happen to you?

I once had someone tell me they wished they were me.

Once I picked up my jaw, stopped laughing hysterically and came to my senses, I asked her why in the world would she wish that?

This poor girl thought I had it all together.

I'm here to tell you I didn't then, I don't now, and if I did, I'd forget where I'd put it (Oh, the joys of menopausal memory loss!).

She had no idea what my life was really like. She only knew what I felt safe letting her know. But to be me? She had no idea.

Now, I've wished I was someone different before. I've even wished I could be more like [fill in the blank]--did you REALLY think I was going to share that info?? That's classified! LOL! But when this young woman said that to me, I realized some things.

1) She needed professional help.

2) She didn't have enough information to know how wrong her wish was.

3) I needed to work on being more honest about my struggles.

4) We are designed to be the person we are, and not designed to be anybody else.

That last one is crucial. As women, we tend to compare--body sizes, hair styles, children/husbands, homes, abilities/talents...the list is endless. And somehow, we always seem to come up short compared to other women.

But think about this for a moment...

You (and I) are designed to be just who we are. No one else can handle being me, and no one else is capable of being you. God wired us just right to be the person He made us to be. Otherwise, doncha think He'd have made us someone else??

Plus, think of ice cream. Wouldn't it be incredibly boring if all we had was vanilla? Or pistachio...I'd never be able to eat ice cream (I'm highly allergic). But we have mocha almond fudge, chocolate, strawberry, tutti-frutti, spumoni, vanilla, fudge ripple, etc...

Why shouldn't variety among women be okay as well? I think it's great that my friend Lola can do a multitude of crafts, and I love the work she does. I think my friend Veronica is a great cook and I just adore her smile. My friend Claudia gives the best hugs and it is so easy to make her laugh...and the list goes on and on and on. (Did I mention how loyal my sister-in-law Brenda is??)

Life would be boring if we were all alike. Some talents would be wasted, because no one would have them. Church would be one-dimensional instead of vibrant and alive. We need the differences among us to challenge and inspire each other.

So, the next time you're tempted to wish "I wish I was more like [fill in the blank]", or to wish "I wish I could do [fill in the blank] like she can"...remember this...

You were made to be YOU in the body of Christ for a reason, and it's a good one! And no one else is capable of being YOU like YOU are...or could handle it!! Hey, it's hard work being me! I wear myself out sometimes!!

Admire others, but be YOURSELF...you're the only one who can!

And that poor girl who wished she had my life? She's in therapy now...lol!!

Be blessed, and bless someone with YOU...'cause you're SO good at it!

Deena