Cherries

Wow! I've been lax about posting on this blog. I guess I've been so consumed with the Project365 blog that I haven't been making the time to record my thoughts (disjointed as they may be) here.

So I was in the grocery store a couple of weeks ago and checking out the marked down items up front when I came across some jars of cherries. I like cherries, especially the candied kind that go in fruitcake (which I also like, so don't throw it away, just give it to me) and maraschino cherries, which I have been known to eat straight out of the jar. Don't order a sundae in front of me because I'll steal the cherry right off the top. Fresh cherries, I'm not so crazy about. Anyway, attracted to the possibility of a cherry snack, I picked up a jar only to find they were lemon-flavored cherries. What?? There were also raspberry flavored cherries. Why?? If I wanted raspberries, I'd eat raspberries. When I'm eating cherries, I want to taste cherries. Why cover up the flavor with a counterfeit flavor? Totally messed with my mind, not that it takes much. And it started me thinking...

How many times do we go through life feeling like we're not "enough" just like we are? We put on fake flavors, or masks, all the time. We act happy when we're anything but, we do our best to wear the cool clothes whether we like them or not, and basically do our best to fit in however we can. We try to discern what other people want us to be and then we try to fit into their expectations. Sometimes we forget that God made us who we are and if we're a cherry, we should be the best cherry for God we can be. Don't go around trying to taste like a raspberry - leave that to the raspberries. God loves us the way we are. Why can't we?

Tonight our LifeGroup is talking about spiritual gifts and that fits right into the fruit discussion. Find out what your "flavor" is and BE THAT. Explore your gifts and tap into them for God's glory. I'm a big fan of personality tests because I love any insight I can get into what makes me who I am. I took a test about 10 years ago that revealed I'm not simply bossy - I'm someone who gets things done. It put a whole new face on what I considered "negative" characteristics and made me see myself in a different light. It also gave me a greater appreciation of God's design for humans. We are all different with no two alike, much like snowflakes, and we need to value ourselves and each other for what we are and not try to fit everybody into some neat little box. I love Amy D. for her Amy D.-ness. I don't expect her to act like Amy H. I love Marsha for her Marsha-ness and I don't try to change her into Tracy. I love the variety of God's children! Meanwhile, I'm going off to try and decide what flavor I want to be. Banana? Mellow, sweet, smooth? Maybe Granny Smith apple - sweet but tart and crisp.....