There never has been nor ever will be another you. Ever.

Soak that in.

It’s so easy to forget how uniquely we were created. We all want to “fit in” and we are drawn to people like us. That’s ok and human nature. But I think when we try to match and compare our lives closely with the lives of others, we stop feeling free and joyful about the lives we have to live.

This pressure to be someone and be something other than we are is everywhere. Pressure to be married, to be a mom, to have the clothes and bodies and vacations and all that we see on facebook.  Then we start to question ourselves, ” Am I living it right”, “doing it right”, “Am I all right.” It can be paralyzing.

In my yoga classes I try to calm people’s fears about there being a “right” way even before we start our practice. I get in there and while I’m introducing myself I say “Now everyone’s body and every day is different. Allow yourself to be just as your are tonight on the mat. Don’t try to look like me or your neighbor. You and your body are completely unique. Listen to it and follow it’s cues to do what feels best. Feel free to make this your class and not mine.” And I think a lot of that wisdom translates to our lives, not just to our bodies and yoga practice.

Right now take a deep breath, and remember, it’s OK. Your body? It’s ok. How you’re feeling? That’s ok too. What you like and dislike, who you’ve been and how you’ve acted and where you are in life? It’s all OK. I’m not saying it’s perfect or wise or what you wish it would be. But what I am say is it’s worth loving. You are worth loving.

Look at our God. We have a God who stopped at no lengths to tell us we are lovable even before we lived one day, every moment of our lives and every cell in our body included. 

This body, this soul, this life of yours will never happen again. This is it. That alone makes it incredible. But now add to that divine design the truth that Christ died for you out of love knowing everything you have done, will ever do or ever be.

The Message Bible puts it beautifully:

I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day.

I think what that psalm is saying is it’s OK to love you life, body and unique soul no matter what! So it’s OK. It’s ok to not have things figured out, to not have it as easy as someone else, to not feel as happy as you thought you would. Who ever told you you should? It’s ok to look different, dress different, and feel different and on and on. Life isn’t meant to be easy, or perfect, or ideal or the same as someone else.

You were made, not to be perfect, but to know you are lovable. You are loved. It’s OK to live a life uniquely different than anyone else.

It isn’t easy to live in this freedom. It takes constant reminders, constant refocusing our eyes on the Truth. But the more I’ve been considering this, the more I think on me, on you, on the Creator who made us, I am starting to see that maybe there is no “right” after all. There’s just this. This life. This moment. This feeling. This space. And all of it is worth loving because it’s seen, loved, and known by God.

So focus with me, on the One who made you and allow yourself to live within the freedom of being you. Not giving ourselves license to live poorly. But giving ourselves the freedom, the permission, to be who we already are. There are things only you can bring to this world. And to change yourself so you “measure up” or “fit in”? Well it would be a sad thing to lose the personality and imprint on this world only you can make.

Find your gifts, discover your wiring, love this skin, this soul, this heart and this mind you’ve been given, even though it’s not perfect. Together, let’s savor our lives and live for Him in the ways only we can.

Extra Musings and Random Thoughts

I was so blessed to escape the frigid cold last week and go to FL! It was my first time in Miami so that was fun to see. Thanks to my friend for snapping this candid shot while I was down at the water’s edge soaking it in. I’d never seen water that blue! Stunning.

I can’t wait to visit Clearwater, FL again! If you want to go to a place with beautiful white sand, good restaurants, cute towns, and lovely weather… that’s a great spot. So thankful for the friends who hosted me and allowed me into their lives for a week!

Really looking forward to being with the lovely ladies in my book club brunch and talking about Don Miller’s phenomenal book Scary Close. This is a book I think every single person could benefit from. It was my 2+ time through and I could re-read it every year and get something out of it. Thank you Don Miller for writing the wisdom in Scary Close!

A book I designed launched on Valentine’s Day! Debra Fileta is an excellent writer. She’s a professional counsellor and Christian who speaks wisdom into the areas of dating and relationships. Check out her work on truelovedates.com and the book she wrote that I designed called “21 Days To Pray For Your Love Life”. I love her stuff and get wisdom from her blog regularly.

As always, thanks so much for reading!