The Misfit

Have you ever felt like a misfit? I have! During my years of growing up, I often felt like I didn’t fit in my family. I mean, my mom was even asked if I was adopted. I’m the only one in my family with green eyes (everybody else has brown eyes) and the only one with blonde hair (until Lydia was born).  I was the middle child until the last three young people moved in with us. I was often too loud and crazy (some things never change 🤭), and many people overlooked me; I lived in my older siblings’ shadows. This is not a sob story (although way too many times I felt sorry for myself while growing up), I’m just explaining how I’ve felt in the past.

I have actually been thinking about how different I am ever since reading my friend Maddi’s post: Being a Dreamer. Her post has been in my heart and on my mind; I would definitely recommend for you to read this post (and it’s not because she’s my friend 😉).

I related so much to her post, and shortly after reading it wrote this down in my Bible/Prayer journal: (this is part of what I wrote; I left some of it out.)

I’m going to be very raw and very open right now. I’m different; I’ve always known it, but now I understand it more clearly. While reading Maddi’s post about being a dreamer, it touched my heart.

I’ve always stood out in my family, I’m different. I’m the whitest, and the only one who has green eyes…I don’t understand myself; I definitely can’t explain myself to anyone else.

I’ve been different since I can remember. Little things affected me a lot more than they affected others; I needed stability. Big things seemed not to affect me at all.

I’m still kinda awkward; I haven’t found my place yet. I never had anyone I could look up to in my formative years. I never really had a friend I could confide in, either.

The point is: I’m different. I was never made to fit in, though. I was made to be different. You are the Potter, I am the clay. I don’t get to choose what I’m going to be, You do. You know what’s better anyway!

I will never quite be able to blend in like I would like to, but it’s ok. I prefer to walk alone and have You by my side, then to have a bunch of friends, but be far from You. I don’t want to go anywhere if You’re not with me.  

Sorry if that was an overload of information. It wasn’t very pretty but it was very real. I wrote this and I showed it to my mom, and it felt so good to actually write it down. It was a good reminder to know that just because I was different didn’t mean that it was bad; it’s ok to be different, God made us that way! I have always appreciated Peter’s choice of words when he said “…a peculiar people…” (1 Peter 2:9). We are different for a reason!

I will admit that I’ve often felt like a misfit (even recently) in my life. I have been pondering on this for the last few days, but Nathaniel preached a message that cleared a lot of things up in my head. His message this morning got me to thinking, and I wanted to share the revelation I got this morning. I know it’s probably not something you don’t know, but it was something I needed to hear and something that helped me today, so here goes!

The church is the body of Christ. As a church, we can have a great vision for this year, but if all we have is vision (eyes), there is no way we’ll be able to see it happen. We need all the members of the body to be involved to see growth and revival in the church. We each have a different gift God has given us and they were given to us so that we would use them for God’s glory and help others. (1 Peter 4:10-11, Romans 12:3-8) If we do not use the gifts God has given us, He will certainly find someone else who is willing to be a vessel for His glory. I don’t want to be replaced in the kingdom of God!

As a body, we are individual members, and we each have different roles we play. I liked the way Nathaniel put it: our Pastor is the eyes of our church; he has vision! I may be a foot, someone who has the ability to take the news to others. If I get to a point where I’m tired of being a foot, and I’m jealous of the mouth (the person who gets to teach and talk to everybody and teach all the special classes), I can lose my desire to be a foot. I could decide that my job isn’t as important as the mouth’s job. This is only an example, but it did make me think.

So many times, I’m guilty of thinking that the part I play (in everyday life) in the body of Christ is insignificant. I cant easily wish I were doing something else, but God reminds me time and time again that even the things that seem so small and insignificant can play a greater part in the big picture. I might feel like a misfit, and not know what my purpose is, or where I’m heading in life (talking from the point of view of a recent graduate with no job). I do know, however, that my purpose in life (first and foremost) is to fulfill my job as a member of the body of Christ.

While you or I may feel like a misfit at some point in our lives, we’re not. We all belong to the body of Christ. The body of Christ was designed and created to fit together perfectly and intricately, and that’s how the church should be, as well. We don’t always get along with everybody in our congregation, but it is our job to overlook the disagreements and quarrels. We need to work together as a body to overcome everything the devil may try to use to divide the church. The devil knows that if he can divide us, he can conquer us. I am determined to keep the unity in our church (and especially in our youth group).

This year we are going to see great things! I have heard so much preached about the 2020 Vision (perfect vision), but that vision isn’t going to be accomplished unless we all pitch in and do our part to help the church continue to grow. It is our responsibility to pray and read our Bibles every day. May we never forget how affective fasting is, as well. Spiritual warfare is won by prayer and fasting.

Another point Nathaniel made is that (technically) the church can grow and move without all the members working together; God’s church will never stop growing because He gives the increase. However, even though the church grows and marches forward, it’s growth and advance is hindered by the injured member (or the member that’s not doing its part). I want to play my part in God’s kingdom, whatever it may be!

We are not misfits, maybe we’re different, but we belong to the body of Christ, and fit in perfectly right where He has placed us!

This may be lame for some of you, but hopefully, this will help someone as much as it helped me! I’m so thankful to be serving a God who has given me purpose, and who always leads us in the way we should go. (Isaiah 30:21) I’m so thankful for this reminder!

 

I also wanted to give a shout out to my sweet baby sister who is turning 10 today. Happy Birthday, Charity. Love you!

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Thanks for reading and there are more posts coming soon!

Have a blessed day,

Sarah Schreckhise