Ok. So we’re not going to talk about clothes here. Nothing really to say about that but buy clothes that fit people! Now to the subject at hand, have you ever noticed how many people say “I just don’t fit in” with a sad countenance? I have heard that so many times over the years I’ve started to wonder how many people are actually a part of this “in” crowd? When everyone says they don’t fit in, somebody should stop at some point and ask “fit in what?” That uncanny feeling of being different and sometimes even an outcast is something we all face at some point in our lives. So as oxymoronic as it may sound, it is normal to feel strange.
I felt strange, primarily in college, because I didn’t know who I wanted to be. I saw my options and none seemed appealing. I didn’t see myself as the super religious girl, who attended all the church services on campus, sang in the college gospel choir, and learned all the "churchy" lingo. I didn’t see myself as a super scholar, who cared only about grades, accolades, and honors. I didn’t see myself as a party animal, who had to hit the hottest clubs and dance with the hottest boys every weekend. Nor did I see myself as a loner who only wanted to be left in solitude. It seemed as if most people were comfortable in their skin and fit into some category, all the while I felt like a lost sheep roaming for a home.
It was not until I met a few other girls that shared my same dilemma that I realized this feeling was normal! They too felt like lost sheep roaming for a home. This didn’t mean they would automatically become my best friends, but it did mean I wasn't alone. I learned that very few people, if any, fit in the aforementioned categories and in that way I was more like everyone else than I thought. It meant I needed to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable and allow myself to go through the grueling process of getting to know me. There were questions I needed to ask myself without the pressure of having to agree with a group. And so without an audience or “amen corner” I’d ask questions like; What do I believe about God? What do I love about life? What do I consider fun? Where should I go on the weekend? What do I think about sin? What kind of person do I want to be? How should I fill up my free time?
The answers to these questions didn’t come all at once (for fuller transparency I'm still answering some today) but in time I became more like...me. I found others that agreed with my priorities in life and determined that where we disagreed I’d always remain true to myself. Open to learning, of course, but never at the expense of my own thoughts and convictions. So it’s okay to be strange. It doesn’t feel good to be left out, but sometimes not being a part of the crowd keeps you out of a lot of trouble and can be a blessing in disguise. Ask yourself hard questions. Give yourself time to answer and discover who God has called you to be. Resist the temptation of being like everyone else and do us all a favor...be you.
-Sarah
I felt strange, primarily in college, because I didn’t know who I wanted to be. I saw my options and none seemed appealing. I didn’t see myself as the super religious girl, who attended all the church services on campus, sang in the college gospel choir, and learned all the "churchy" lingo. I didn’t see myself as a super scholar, who cared only about grades, accolades, and honors. I didn’t see myself as a party animal, who had to hit the hottest clubs and dance with the hottest boys every weekend. Nor did I see myself as a loner who only wanted to be left in solitude. It seemed as if most people were comfortable in their skin and fit into some category, all the while I felt like a lost sheep roaming for a home.
It was not until I met a few other girls that shared my same dilemma that I realized this feeling was normal! They too felt like lost sheep roaming for a home. This didn’t mean they would automatically become my best friends, but it did mean I wasn't alone. I learned that very few people, if any, fit in the aforementioned categories and in that way I was more like everyone else than I thought. It meant I needed to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable and allow myself to go through the grueling process of getting to know me. There were questions I needed to ask myself without the pressure of having to agree with a group. And so without an audience or “amen corner” I’d ask questions like; What do I believe about God? What do I love about life? What do I consider fun? Where should I go on the weekend? What do I think about sin? What kind of person do I want to be? How should I fill up my free time?
The answers to these questions didn’t come all at once (for fuller transparency I'm still answering some today) but in time I became more like...me. I found others that agreed with my priorities in life and determined that where we disagreed I’d always remain true to myself. Open to learning, of course, but never at the expense of my own thoughts and convictions. So it’s okay to be strange. It doesn’t feel good to be left out, but sometimes not being a part of the crowd keeps you out of a lot of trouble and can be a blessing in disguise. Ask yourself hard questions. Give yourself time to answer and discover who God has called you to be. Resist the temptation of being like everyone else and do us all a favor...be you.
-Sarah
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