Child of Worth

 

As I walk the hot streets of my neighborhood, the result of all our Spring rain is evident. Everything is green, green, green. Lawns are thick and lush and green. Trees are alive with every shade of green one can imagine. Bushes are already overgrown with green branches waving wildly in the wind. Even in the heat, green rules the neighborhood.

That is what makes the red leaves of this tree stand out boldly against the monochromatic background. In the midst of all the trees of various sizes and kinds, this is the one tree you notice. Why? It is uniquely itself. This tree is unashamedly different. It stands out in all its glory.

We are all different, in our own way. The scriptures put it like this, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” So why do we spend so much time trying to be like everyone else? Why do we so often want to blend in instead of stand out? Why do we hesitate to celebrate our uniqueness as a beloved child of God? Why would we begrudge that of another?

Even at this point in my journey, when there is much more road behind than that which stretches out before me, I am thinking that I might want to try letting my red leaves shine through a bit more frequently. To do this, I would have to trust that those people in my life who really love me will love my true self as well. I would have to trust that God wants me to live fully into all God created me to be. And I would have to trust myself, that I am indeed a child of sacred worth to God.

Peace.