Be Original

  In America we have a culture which celebrates individuality but also puts a lot of pressure on us to do what everyone else is doing by making us feel like we're missing out if we don't.  But I'm here to tell you that you don't have to do what everyone else is doing.  You can be free to live as God created you to live, and that may be different than anyone else around you.  One of the most freeing things I ever read in the Bible is Galatians 5:1 which states, "It is for freedom that Christ has set you free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."  God has freed us to live completely unhindered as we are in Him, but when we allow what other people expect of us or the social norms to control us, we bind ourselves again and we lose that freedom we were given.
  So what is it that is enslaving you today?  Do you feel pressured to follow in your families history of alcoholism?  Maybe everyone expects you to go to college, but you know that's not for you.  Social expectations can be positive or negative, but if you know in your heart of hearts that you are not meant for that thing, then don't give in to the pressure to become a part of it.  Maybe you thought you needed to be a "good" parent and join the PTA, but once you did you felt burdened by the pressure to always be at events and help with projects, and instead of being a blessing, you found yourself weighted down by the responsibility you chained yourself too.   This is what the verse means by not allowing yourself to be enslaved again.  Be proud of who you are.  For myself, I know that I cannot commit to things that require my physical presence on a weekly basis, simply because with my work schedule, my travel schedule, and my child's behavioral health concerns, I know there will be many times when I will be unable to fulfill that commitment and it will become a burden.  So when I seek to minister to other people, I often do it through gifts, or spending a little one on one time and taking them out to dinner.  I find it is far easier for me to give of my income and my things than it is for me to make time commitments.  So when everyone else is getting on board with being the "homeroom mom" or soccer coach, I know that's not for me, and I don't feel bad about it.  I will volunteer to bring snacks, buy extra school supplies, or pay for another child's books at the book fair.  I know what works for me, and I find ways to live within my strengths.
  I want to encourage you to live in freedom today.  Do not feel you have to follow the crowd.  Listen to that still, small voice which is telling what to do, and you can let go of the needless burdens we all place on ourselves by trying to be something we're not.  Find what works best for you, and leave the rest behind.  I can't wait to see you succeed!

~K.W.