Originally posted 2015-12-02 12:28:17.
Hi!
Has anyone ever told you that you are unique? Did they say it with an edge of dislike? Did they say it with admiration? Did they label your uniqueness with adjectives such as weird, eccentric, nerd, goofy, or strange? Does it really matter to you? What’s wrong with being unique? Think about it. No two people are exactly alike. Could it be possible that exactly alike actually has differences? Are identical twins really identical? They may look exactly alike, and have other identical traits due to genetics. But there are some differences. Is there an element of uniqueness in all of us? What is it about you that applies specifically to you? What is it that God has placed in you that is not like anybody else?
Do you know what’s unique about you?
Even though several people may have common interests in things; there still are some different views. Both of us can like the same flavor of soda? But your response to the taste is uniquely you. Your uniqueness could be the way you laugh; the way you talk; the way you walk; or the way you snore. It could be your excessive need to read, learn and study. It could be the way you dance. 
…What is your uniqueness? Is it your long eyelashes? Is it your dimples? Is it your long legs? Is it your exceptionally small feet? Is it the high pitch in your voice? Is it your baritone voice? Do you have an overflowing confidence that others often interpret as arrogance? Do you have a way of inspiring teams to work together and influencing people to share a vision? What is unique about you?
When did your uniqueness shine forth?
Let me talk to those who experienced being teased, ostracized or persecuted for being blessed by God with an exceptional intellect. …I listened to a song by BeBe and CeCe Winans. One of the stanzas says, “When I found you, I found a scholar with style….” I like the entire song, but that stanza jumped out to me. It spoke to my uniqueness; especially, with my having spent years dealing with people (especially men) who had to prove that they were smarter than me. That song and my grandson caused me to think of how God placed the scholarly way in me since childhood. 
My grandson’s unique scholarly ways reminds me of similarities of scholars; but different people and different ages. He is five years old and is writing a picture book about a super hero to give to his teacher. He draws in his own way and talks to me about the plot every day. He finds superhero’s on my tablet and watches their moves. He’s also fascinated with numbers. He’s a developing scholar. …It reminds me of one of my childhood thoughts. There was an elementary teacher who had a doctorate. Everyone called him doctor; and I wondered how he could be a doctor in a school. At that young age, I only knew doctors as those at the clinic or in the hospital. But now I see that was the scholarly uniqueness developing in me. Think about it. How far back in your life does your uniqueness reach?
Similar but unique
Have someone ever spoke to you, and said your name as if they knew you; but you were clueless to who they were? Some of us are not good with remembering people. Some of us remember many faces; yet we forget most people’s names. Remembering faces and knowing names are the similarities. But there are people who uniquely know the names of thousands of people. My pastor is one of those people. Our church is large. It always baffles me of how our pastor seems to know the names of the members, the names of the regular visitors, and the names of people at other church functions.
…Are you one of those unique persons who are good with remembering names? Or is not remembering faces or names your uniqueness? Can you think of similarities that you have with people yet your uniqueness still shines forth? It could be in your walk. It could be in your oratorical prowess. It could be in your ability to put complex puzzles together. What’s unique about you?
To the Bible scholars, here’s something else to think about. …Look at Matthew 4:24-25 and Luke 6:17-19. They wrote about the same or similar accounts. But they wrote them through different lenses. Perhaps it was because Matthew was a tax collector and Luke was a physician. The descriptive commentary is unique to the writers. Similar but unique!
How do you celebrate your uniqueness?
It’s time to understand that we are all different; similar perhaps; yet different. Laugh at yourself. Yesterday, I was sitting in the car, and today’s subject came to my spirit. I picked up my cell phone, pushed a button, and said, “Take a note.” I commenced to talking into the phone. Then the spirit of the Lord placed a thought in me. “Rochelle, even though others might be in their cars recording through their phone, your joy, your thank you Jesus is yours.” 
I started praying, “Lord, thank you for how you created me. Thank you for this drive and determination that you’ve given to me. I thank you for the way that I love taking pictures of the clouds with my phone. I thank you for giving me this assignment to write and helping me to persevere. I thank you for the way I like my makeup. I thank you for the way I love to have my hair.” As I sat there, I watched some twins walk across the parking lot and thought, “They look the same but they are different. They have different personalities, different ways in which they walk. Then the questions came again, “What’s unique about you? That meekness that you have is uniquely you. Do you celebrate it?” My friends, how do you celebrate your uniqueness?
Uniqueness intertwines with your purpose. Tap into your uniqueness, embrace it and celebrate. There is something that God has specifically given to you. The Psalmist said in Psalm 139:14, “I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.” (NRSV) God made you wonderfully. He made you uniquely. ….But don’t let this be a pass to act a nut and say, “This is just how God made me.” When you are obedient to God and His Word, your uniqueness shines forth and you can truly say that you did what God gave uniquely to you. It reminds me of the latter clause of Philippians 2:12. It says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” (NRSV) That word “own” is saying that it is specific to you. It’s uniquely yours.
My friends, what God has placed within you is uniquely you. It is not for everybody else. Only one person can occupy a specific space. Thus you can occupy your space that’s unique to you. Oh yes, you are you! Are you that scholar with style? Are you that person who loves to trim trees? Are you that boss, that coworker, that father, that mother, that sister, that brother, that cousin, that aunt, that uncle, that grandparent, that friend or that ministry leader who just loves to love everybody? Are you that tent maker? Are you that person who laughs your way through tumultuous times? Are you that driven person journeying in success! Well, let’s celebrate?
Thank you for joining me in these Thursday thoughts. My last questions: “Do you know what’s unique about you? Can you celebrate it?” Join me in conversation. I’d love to hear from you. We’ll talk soon.
Blessings!
Rochelle
