Comparison
This is a post idea I’ve had for a long time, but as I draft it
for the twenty ninth million time, I realized that I didn’t want to talk about it...
I don’t want to admit that I compared myself to the rest of
the world, and at times thought my worth came from the number on the back of my
jeans.
I don’t like to admit that I’ve looked at my cousins, the
models on the cover of magazines, and my mother and been like, “I am the
smallest, gangliest, weirdest human on the face of the planet.” (I have a very
beautiful mom. Who happens to be two inches taller than me. This fact has been
the bane of my life since I was twelve years old.)
I don’t like to admit that.
But like probably every other human, I’ve done it too.
I don’t always like the face looking back at me in the
mirror. (So I make grotesque faces at her, which helps tremendously.)
As I’ve compared myself, I’ve learned a couple things, and
because I thought that this might be a worldwide problem, I thought I would
share those couple things.
1.
Numbers are just
numbers—not the definition in a dictionary.
I have these two pairs of jeans.
One says “Size 4” on the tag, and the other says “Size 9” The size fours way to
big, whereas the size 9’s are the perfect fit. The number means nothing.
2.
The things you don’t think
are beautiful about you, just might be the things other people envy.
I’ve always wanted curly hair.
Other people I know wish they could have my boring straight hair. It’s a thing.
3.
Comparison is the death of
joy.
When I compare myself to my friends
and family, I find a lot of disconnect. I go from not liking me a little bit,
to just being really flustered with myself.
But the crazy thing is, I’m saved
by my amazing God, who loves me with and without freckles. (I know right?
) In fact, he made me without freckles for a reason. It makes me unique.
4.
What other people say
doesn’t matter.
Whenever I meet new people with my family,
I get always get a good laugh.
You see, Ben looks like my dad, (and he
gets that a lot) and JD looks like my mom (and he gets that a lot.)
But when people look at me, 50% of the time
they will say “Oh my word you look exactly like your mother” where as the other
50% of the population says “You look so much like your dad, and nothing like
your mom.”
The
above situation usually happens when two people of opposing opinions are
sitting right next to each other,
which makes it very comical for me.
But really, if my mom dad and I
looked in the mirror right next to each other, I look nothing like either of
them. I’m uniquely different. What people say doesn’t define you. It really
doesn’t matter at all. (Unless they tell you there is cake on your face.
Then you should deal with that.)
5.
I will probably never be
able to lift a submarine. But that’s ok.
It honestly doesn’t matter if you are
strong or weak, tall or short… It doesn’t matter, as long as you are living
a life that is God honoring and pure.
So often I look at my tall, strong
brothers, and I’m like, “Are you sure we had the same parents?” because we are
just so different. But that doesn’t matter, because we serve the same God. I
can stay in the kitchen and make them cookies, whist they go out and cut trees,
fish and do whatever else they do.
God gave me a different talent and skill
set, because he knew that I would have two fabulous brothers who would
probably be hungry.
6.
I think this is just really
important, so I’m going to say it again: You are more than numbers and
words.
You are a treasured and made in the
image of God!
“I am not telling you this because I need anything. I
have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that
happens. I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have
plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that
happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than
I need and when I do not have enough. I can do all things through Christ,
because he gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:11-12
~Rachel Joy
