Pages

Sunday, October 26, 2008

A Few of My Favorite Things

One of my all time, absolute favoritest things in life is watching someone that I've known for years go through a metamorphosis into the person that God has created them to be. As well as raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, however, that's an entirely different blog. But, in complete seriousness, its a thrill for me to just sit back and watch this person's eyes glow with excitement over the new found discovery of themselves. To watch the person that they've been trying to be for so long melt away in the presence of the person that they really are and who they have been trying so hard to repress for so long.

Its a powerful sight to behold. Especially being aware of the potential that people you know and love have, and yet they simply have no inkling as to how amazing they really are, how talented they are, how extraordinary they are. How there isn't a single other person on earth who has the same mix of gifts, of quirks, of experiences. How they are completely and utterly unique and, at the risk of sounding cliche, that God threw out the mold after he made them.

Why is it that we are often so afraid to be extraordinary? That we have passions for certain things, and yet we are too cowardly to pursue them? That we are abashed to reach beyond the extent of ourself into the glorious realm of God's ideas for our lives? These limitations that we willingly place on ourselves confine the possibilities of our potential. They force us into a small box of what we consider to be the extent of our capabilities, rather than the universe of our actual capacity, through the extension of the arm of God. What is it that we are so afraid of? Rejection? Failure? Success?

I personally believe that one of the best places that you can be in life is when you genuinely reach the point of not caring about other's opinions of you. Not in the obnoxious sense, but in the sense of being secure enough in who you are to be able to move forward without the self-consciousness that is such a struggle for most. To be free of worry in how you are perceived. That, I believe, is one of the greatest personal victories one can acheive. It permits you to be all that you can be (I can't believe I just used an army slogan!) without fear of reproach.

So, to this friend (you know who you are!), and to other friends daring enough to be themselves, I salute you. I will be following along in your footsteps on the path of being me.... Once I figure out the heck who that is....

4 comments:

Rach said...

There is something about the way that you write that just- Flows. There is just an ease to it. I would like for you to write a book one day- Really. Even if I wasn't already a fan of all that is... You... I would buy at least one copy. And one for my mom and sister too. And probably a friend or two. And Noah. I'll shut up now.

Juli said...

i agree with Rach...i'd buy the book...your a great writer...ever think about pursuing that? :-)

Bethany Streng said...

you guys are making me feel all warm and gushy inside! thanks for the encouragement:-)

Cody S. said...

If you ever wrote one thing I read that I better wish I could identify with...I'm going to have say this ones it...

but, alas...