This was on my daily calender of inspirational quotes and it spoke to me.
"The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness."
~Therese of Lisieux
Have you ever been in a contest or competed for anything? Have you ever felt out shined or shadowed beneath something or someone? It could be in a job or at church. It could be in your family. It could even just be in your mind. Whatever it is, it can chip away at the core of our being.
I'm clearly human and have lived by comparison from my parents to bosses, friends and foes, both physically, spiritually, and intellectually. I have been challenged and I have been defeated. I have challenged others (sometimes without their knowledge) and I have won and I have lost. I'm a fairly competitive person.
The funny thing about ME and competition is...I tend to ONLY compete in things I know I"ll prevail, or at least have a fighting chance. I tend NOT to compete in things that I don't feel I have a fighting chance in; i.e. Marathon races, Mrs. America, Survivor, and finally...Graduate School. I had this really cruel professor in college (during a particularly low phase of life anyway) tell me that I would do well to just finish undergraduate studies and not attempt graduate school, because...in a word...I wasn't going to succeed.
Of course I did get my grades up, get accepted into graduate school and even took a couple of courses just to 'prove him wrong'. I didn't finish. I don't regret it.
I think the crossover and what has been stolen from my life is primarily in the gifts God has given me. God did not gift us to compete. I believe He gifted us to CONTRIBUTE to the whole. I believe that these gifts we have...the scent we carry...the strengths we exhibit...are to be expressed in tandem with others. We are called to be a body and according to what I've read in the Bible, our gifts work TOGETHER.
I may never be a rose. I may be a simple daisy, or even a dandelion. I just pray I would quit comparing myself to the roses and other flowers and just stand in the glory of the garden in full bloom!
8 comments:
I was commenting one day to a blog friend about how inferior I feel sometimes in my writing ability compared to so many others (you included). She likened us to a flower garden and said we are all different flowers, which makes the garden so beautiful. Same thought as your calendar today.
It was good to see you back at myu place today - I've really missed you.
No snow yet - hoping they get it all in Denver! I'd love to have some rain, just not the frozen kind.
Are you coming up here for that wedding?
As a fan of wisdom and rambling (in that order), you will enjoy the Reel Life Wisdom blog. It features inspirational, funny, and thought-provoking quotes from the movies.
Well, whatever the flower you might be ... I'd pick you!
You, my blogging friend...are the whole bouquet! What a great post.
Have you seen the devotional at Faith Lift--Who Am I? Worth a check....aligns with your post today in a mighty way!
Diane
Hear, hear! I love the way you closed it. That really does say it all so well. Kind of like an eye wishing to be a hand or the foot wishing to be the nose, don't you think? That's what 1 Cor 12:12-26 is all about!
It is so hard not to compare ourselves to others and I love your flower quote that is so true. God made each of us special in his own way and I try each day to remember that. Have a great weekend!
Kev and I have our Parts 6 up finally, if you're interested.
You my dear friend I see as an Orchid. Tenderly tended, fed, watered, terrifically unique. You can grow most anywhere as long as the nurturing is there for you. You are fragile yet wonderfully hardy and can withstand a great deal.
Majestically beautiful, Orchids bloom in fantastic single colors and blends of colors, no other flower is like them...
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