Mirror, Mirror on the Wall....

Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So today was a great day, children went to the local gym for their holiday club activities which meant me running around like a maniac doing all the things I cannot normally do which was simply divine!  Followed by a Park Day (what - you ask? ).  A colourful group of mom's who get together on a paddock in Noordhoek and enjoy each other's company while their children run around enjoying the open spaces, the mud (yes Helen and Michelle - the MUD!) and much laughter.  OK so I am drifting a bit but the remains of mud in my shower and the washing load full of dirty clothes reminds me that I need to remember to take extra clothes on our next Park Day and definitely no newly-granny-knitted-cardigans - sorry Mom:(

So here I was enjoying the diversity of the group, the laughter, the stories -when one of the mothers started sharing about all these great exciting things she was doing - play dates and learning ballet.  The details of her adventures are not as significant as the sudden comparison I made.  I started to feel almost insecure (yes I definitely have moments like this) and unimportant , even slightly envious.  The temptation to run to the closest dance instructor who would be crazy enough to sign me up for a class was so strong, it was ridiculous.  I love dancing but have never really felt the urge to go for lessons but here in the shadow of this significant other - I was comparing myself to her and falling so short.  Short according to whose standards though?

There is an insightful scripture that my children recently had to memorise "and they in comparing themselves, among themselves, are not wise" 2 Corinthians 10:12 and if you take the scripture to the opposite basically it says that if you make comparisons - you're not wise - mmmmh lets see if I look up the opposite of wise in my web search I come up with:   foolish , ignorant, stupid, unintelligent, unreasonable, unwise. Not a nice thing to consider but so true!  I am being foolish in comparing myself because when I do I am looking for a winner or a loser.  If I win it makes me feel good, but who is the loser?  The person I am judging or measuring?  And if I 'lose' in the comparison I feel rotten, unworthy and of no value.

Its so easy to slip into this way of thinking - we compare ourselves with others in so many ways - clothing, children, popularity, finances, lifestyle and yet God  individually wrapped and made us.  If he had wanted to, he could have cloned me and made 1000's of Mel's (oh how that would not work!) but He chose one Mel and one you.  Recently my sister visited and I sat there marvelling at how different we are but doesn't that make her all the more special and more unique! What a divinely unique individual each one of us has been created to be. 

He has made you so uniquely different from anyone else because He wanted YOU, not someone else.

So here I am celebrating my rather unusual dress sense, bumps, moles, freckles, love handles and heart for orphans, desire to go places and do things off the map and crazy stubbornness that has me holding onto the promises of God.   Because the whole package is what he gave me and what makes me Mel.

And to finish, here is a song that was playing on iTunes as I was writing this, why not listen to this song.

Never let 'em see you when you're breaking
Never let 'em see you when you fall
That's how we live and that's how we try
Tell the world you've got it all together
Never let them see what's underneath
Cover it up with a crooked smile
But it only lasts for a little while

[CHORUS:]
There's no such thing as perfect people
There's no such thing as a perfect life
So come as you are, broken and scarred
Lift up your heart and be amazed
And be changed by a perfect God

Suddenly it's like a weight is lifted
When you hear the words that you are loved
He knows where you are and where you've been
And you never have to go there again

[CHORUS]

Who lived and died to give new life
To heal our imperfections
So look up and see out let grace be enough

[CHORUS]

By a perfect God [5x]

Be changed by a perfect God
Be changed