You are an original!
No two men, no two women, and no two snowflakes are alike.
There is no one else in the world like you! There are no two snowflakes alike, and no two people alike. Even identical twins are different, if not on the outside, then on the inside. And everyone has different fingerprints. God made us all different, and God does not want you being someone else. You are an original!
Several years ago, I read in a newspaper about a young man who wanted to look like Michael Jackson. This young man already had certain facial similarities with the famous pop star, and his friends even told him he looked like Michael Jackson. But his nose was not exactly the same, so he asked his dad if he could have $5,000 to have plastic surgery for a nose job. His dad said no, and a few days later the young man killed himself. Regrettably, this is a true story.
When I was fifteen years old, my parents took me to the local Kmart to buy me a coat for winter. The coat they wanted and the coat I wanted were not at all the same. I had seen a teenager wearing a coat like the one I wanted, and for whatever reason, I thought it was “cool.” I had a long face because I could not get the one I wanted. My dad saw this and, although he was upset with me, he went ahead and bought me both coats, something that financially was hard for him. Looking back now, I believe the one my parents picked out was nicer looking, and, oddly, the one I picked out I would not wear today. But then my head was “screwed on backward,” so I walked around in an ugly coat, just because I thought it was cool.
Some years later, I heard a lesson by a Bible teacher about a poll that had been taken in Hollywood, asking movie stars if there was anything they would change about themselves if they could. Movie stars are looked upon as being the most beautiful, famous, and rich people. But according to this teacher, an astonishing 95 percent said they would change at least one thing about their appearance—the colors of their eyes, or hair, or height, body build, etc. This same teacher said, “If you could stand in front of a mirror and change one thing about your appearance, what would it be?” He then challenged us to thank God for this feature we did not like. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” ( I Thessalonians 5:18).
I had size 11 shoes when I was in junior high school, and some girl in the hall between classes noticed my feet and said, “You have big feet!”
“No, I don't,” I said.
“Yes, you do!” And then she asked me in front of others, “Can you walk on water?” I told her not to say that, and I walked off. When I got home, I said to my mom,
“I have big feet!”
“No you don't,” she reassured me, and then she asked, “Who told you you've got big feet?”
“Everyone knows it.” I said.
You will not believe what I did, and I am embarrassed to tell you, but for the next four years, I wore shoes that were too small for my feet. You might think that was really dumb. Actually, it is worse than dumb--it is painful! I had four operations on my two big toes because of ingrown toenails. Why in the world would I do this? Because a girl in seventh grade said I had big feet.
If 99 percent of the world had only one arm, I am sure that rest of us “freaks” with two arms would wish we had been born with only one. “[B]ut they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (II Corinthians 10:12).
There is no outward ideal, only an inward one of Christ in you (Galatians 4:19). God wants us to be thankful for who we are and how we look. God made no mistakes! I taught this in church, and one time, unexpectedly, a teenage boy blurted out, “Do I have to accept this?” And he pointed to the birthmark on his face. It was an awkward moment for me, for though I knew what the right answer was, I also knew I would not want his birthmark on my face.
I told him, “Yes, for that also.” There are people with scars or who have been disfigured by fire, but God has grace for this. However, grace is not forced, we have to want His grace, we have to ask for it. (II Corinthians 12:7–10). King David said, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13–14). Have you ever thanked or praised the Lord for making you and giving you the looks you have, especially that which you would like to change?
Have you ever seen an older person dress up as a teenager, trying to look younger? Silly, isn't it? Why be someone you’re not? Be the person you were made to be. I will never forget a response I heard from a teenager to another teen, who had made fun of his face. The one had said to the other, “You got a baby face!” Whereupon the other teenager replied, “So?!” I really admired him for it, and the one who had criticized him had no response. We should never make fun of the appearance of others. “Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker” (Proverbs 17:5, “poor” in any sense.). We need to accept ourselves and thank God for making us the way we are. You are an original, accept yourself!
I have three beautiful daughters. One has very curly hair, one has perfectly straight hair, and one has hair with natural, gentle curls. They all have beautiful hair! Because we are all different, what looks good on one will not look good on another. Well, my daughters, with their beautiful, natural hair, all changed their hairstyles when they grew older—but not as “Daddy” would have liked. I asked the Lord to help them see what I thought I saw, and I remembered that when I was fifteen years old, I would not wear the nice coat my dad bought me.
One of the things I wish I could relive in my life was when I was that fifteen-year-old boy in Kmart with the long face. Now, I would gladly take that ugly coat I wanted and put it back and wear the nice coat my parents got me. I also would have thanked my dad for loving me enough to do the best he could. “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (I Corinthians 13:11).
Some young preacher boys try to be like some famous preacher, but all the apostles were different and God wants you to be also, thou still obeying His Word. How can anyone live the greatest adventure of all, life, trying to be someone else? You are an original!
Please read our other short stories at the top of the page and pray for this website to be used of God and to help Christians!
No two men, no two women, and no two snowflakes are alike.
There is no one else in the world like you! There are no two snowflakes alike, and no two people alike. Even identical twins are different, if not on the outside, then on the inside. And everyone has different fingerprints. God made us all different, and God does not want you being someone else. You are an original!
Several years ago, I read in a newspaper about a young man who wanted to look like Michael Jackson. This young man already had certain facial similarities with the famous pop star, and his friends even told him he looked like Michael Jackson. But his nose was not exactly the same, so he asked his dad if he could have $5,000 to have plastic surgery for a nose job. His dad said no, and a few days later the young man killed himself. Regrettably, this is a true story.
When I was fifteen years old, my parents took me to the local Kmart to buy me a coat for winter. The coat they wanted and the coat I wanted were not at all the same. I had seen a teenager wearing a coat like the one I wanted, and for whatever reason, I thought it was “cool.” I had a long face because I could not get the one I wanted. My dad saw this and, although he was upset with me, he went ahead and bought me both coats, something that financially was hard for him. Looking back now, I believe the one my parents picked out was nicer looking, and, oddly, the one I picked out I would not wear today. But then my head was “screwed on backward,” so I walked around in an ugly coat, just because I thought it was cool.
Some years later, I heard a lesson by a Bible teacher about a poll that had been taken in Hollywood, asking movie stars if there was anything they would change about themselves if they could. Movie stars are looked upon as being the most beautiful, famous, and rich people. But according to this teacher, an astonishing 95 percent said they would change at least one thing about their appearance—the colors of their eyes, or hair, or height, body build, etc. This same teacher said, “If you could stand in front of a mirror and change one thing about your appearance, what would it be?” He then challenged us to thank God for this feature we did not like. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” ( I Thessalonians 5:18).
I had size 11 shoes when I was in junior high school, and some girl in the hall between classes noticed my feet and said, “You have big feet!”
“No, I don't,” I said.
“Yes, you do!” And then she asked me in front of others, “Can you walk on water?” I told her not to say that, and I walked off. When I got home, I said to my mom,
“I have big feet!”
“No you don't,” she reassured me, and then she asked, “Who told you you've got big feet?”
“Everyone knows it.” I said.
You will not believe what I did, and I am embarrassed to tell you, but for the next four years, I wore shoes that were too small for my feet. You might think that was really dumb. Actually, it is worse than dumb--it is painful! I had four operations on my two big toes because of ingrown toenails. Why in the world would I do this? Because a girl in seventh grade said I had big feet.
If 99 percent of the world had only one arm, I am sure that rest of us “freaks” with two arms would wish we had been born with only one. “[B]ut they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (II Corinthians 10:12).
There is no outward ideal, only an inward one of Christ in you (Galatians 4:19). God wants us to be thankful for who we are and how we look. God made no mistakes! I taught this in church, and one time, unexpectedly, a teenage boy blurted out, “Do I have to accept this?” And he pointed to the birthmark on his face. It was an awkward moment for me, for though I knew what the right answer was, I also knew I would not want his birthmark on my face.
I told him, “Yes, for that also.” There are people with scars or who have been disfigured by fire, but God has grace for this. However, grace is not forced, we have to want His grace, we have to ask for it. (II Corinthians 12:7–10). King David said, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13–14). Have you ever thanked or praised the Lord for making you and giving you the looks you have, especially that which you would like to change?
Have you ever seen an older person dress up as a teenager, trying to look younger? Silly, isn't it? Why be someone you’re not? Be the person you were made to be. I will never forget a response I heard from a teenager to another teen, who had made fun of his face. The one had said to the other, “You got a baby face!” Whereupon the other teenager replied, “So?!” I really admired him for it, and the one who had criticized him had no response. We should never make fun of the appearance of others. “Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker” (Proverbs 17:5, “poor” in any sense.). We need to accept ourselves and thank God for making us the way we are. You are an original, accept yourself!
I have three beautiful daughters. One has very curly hair, one has perfectly straight hair, and one has hair with natural, gentle curls. They all have beautiful hair! Because we are all different, what looks good on one will not look good on another. Well, my daughters, with their beautiful, natural hair, all changed their hairstyles when they grew older—but not as “Daddy” would have liked. I asked the Lord to help them see what I thought I saw, and I remembered that when I was fifteen years old, I would not wear the nice coat my dad bought me.
One of the things I wish I could relive in my life was when I was that fifteen-year-old boy in Kmart with the long face. Now, I would gladly take that ugly coat I wanted and put it back and wear the nice coat my parents got me. I also would have thanked my dad for loving me enough to do the best he could. “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things” (I Corinthians 13:11).
Some young preacher boys try to be like some famous preacher, but all the apostles were different and God wants you to be also, thou still obeying His Word. How can anyone live the greatest adventure of all, life, trying to be someone else? You are an original!
Please read our other short stories at the top of the page and pray for this website to be used of God and to help Christians!