Devotional 3 - Fitting in

            My favorite verse is Romans 12:2 ESV “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” I never realized that verse would be so real to me through out my life especially during high school. I was different and with those differences that I had some of my classmates didn’t want me to join them with their activities or parties.  Sometimes it might have been intentionally, but other times I don’t think it was intention. My priorities and choices were different than theirs; even still I was very hurt because of being left out.

            The problem with that hurt is I took it with me even after I moved away. These classmates did not know they hurt me and probably were clueless that they left me out. I held on to that pain for so long and held it against them. It wasn’t until years later that God convicted me of the bitterness that I eating away at my heart. What was done to me hurt me more in the long run than it ever affected them. At the time I should have taken what they did as a compliment because God didn’t want me to be the norm, but I had a hard time seeing it that way. As many of you know that during our teenage years we need so badly to fit in with others and be accepted and especially since we move so much. We are always trying to find a group to connect with. I think that with all my travels I still long to connect with others and feel accepted. I know now that being unique is what God wanted me to be.

            Are you struggling to find friends that understand you? Do you want to feel included and not stand out? All those feelings are normal, especially for TCKs. Usually we tell people where we grew up and they treat us special when we really want to be accepted as who we are without titles. We want to be us, not mom and dad’s kids, not the cool expat that has all these crazy stories.  These stories and journeys are what make us who we are in Christ. He wanted that extraordinary life for us. He doesn’t want to change us.  Remember Jesus stood out in the crowd, but he still hung out with sinners. We can be our unique selves and still be a huge influence on those around us. I pray that we all embrace our differences and love and accept each other for being diverse no matter what stage of life we are in.