For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by unique ideas, people, places, experiences, and et al.
From pouring over Mary Cassatt’s works at the Chicago Art Institute as a pre-teen to reading about the mathematician John Forbes Nash in high school (the book and film, “A Beautiful Mind” were made about him) to Al Gore with everything he has done in relation to “An Inconvenient Truth” to Seth Barnes who started Adventures In Missions twenty-five years ago to Sigour Ros and their creation of language to Bon Iver’s intentional isolated pilgrimage to unintentionally learn and create sound art alone, I am fascinated by new and original ideas and causes.
Be it through a new musical technique, organization, cause, or lifestyle–if it’s unique and dynamic, my attention is caught like a bird in a snare.
A friend and I once laughed over the idea of being unique–because everyone is–but not everyone knows this. This is one of the reasons why I started my small business earlier this year–to promote people and their unique talents and passions. To dust off the cobwebs of doubt and secretness, to assist in instilling confidence in those talented individuals, some of whom are friends and others, simply clients I learned to believe in.
But back to being unique: No one else can be you (The same goes for me.) You need to remember this (I need to remember this.) God made you for a purpose–He made you uniquely you and when you recognize this, the potential of God’s impact through your life is unlimited.
Or at least that is what I keep reminding myself. In “The Inner Voice of Love,” Henri Nouwen, a priest, wrote that one needs to own his or her position in their community–to understand their value and significance, but with humility and grace with and toward others. This is a challenge for me, to be honest. I often value others above myself and not in a humble way. A humble way would be if I valued myself as much as I value others, but the truth is, I tend to value others at the sake of my own self-worth. Which is not Christ-like. Jesus came to this world, assumed the role His Father distinctly gave him, used his talents and abilities to their maximum potential, and lived each day with meaning and purpose. This is something, as unique children of God, that if lived out fully, could change each of our lives.
So what are you waiting for?
