We all want to be special.
In fact, I look around and I think it’s become an epidemic. It’s not good enough anymore to have an
ordinary life, to have a life whose reward is the knowledge that you work hard
at what you do, you come home every night to your typical ordinary family, and
you find contentment in the mundane.
I do understand, I have found myself caught up in the same
thing. I mean I’m writing a blog right
now for Pete's sake, having some sort of grand idea that someone actually cares
what I have to say. Of course I want to
make a difference, I want to make my mark on life, but I can’t help thinking
that if that’s the goal, if that’s the driving force, then something is wrong. Because it appears to me that there is a whole
lot of people out there trying desperately to be special and significant, make
a name for themselves, and they’re really messing up their lives and often the
lives of others.
Don’t get me wrong, being special, being extraordinary is a
good thing. But when we’ve taken that
good thing and turned it into an ultimate goal, it’s somehow ends up getting twisted,
warped, perverted, and even sometimes becomes toxic. A very good example of that, I believe, are all
of these public shootings we’ve been hearing and reading about. This country has always had guns, we’ve
always had schools in one form or another, we’ve always had public meeting places of
various kinds, but one thing we haven’t always had is a 24 hour news cycle. I can’t help but presume as these shooting
seem on the increase, that many of the shooters (maybe all) were trying desperately,
in a very deranged way, to make a name for themselves. “I may not live through this, but at least
they’ll remember my name.” Maybe if we
didn’t give them the recognition, plastering their name, life story and picture
all over the place for days and weeks, they may not use this sick way to “be
special.”
Another example that I see disturbs me greatly. There are so many people, men and women, that
have found being a victim makes them special.
They get attention, they get loved on, felt sorry for, and all kinds of
other consideration that they otherwise would never get. Please don’t hear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying there aren’t victims out there
and I’m not saying that we shouldn’t care for them and love them, comfort and
try to help them get back to normal. But
what I’m finding is there’s a lot of people that want to stay stuck in their
victimhood because they’ve somehow garnered from that, “being special”. “If I don’t have something wrong with me, if
I don’t share some difficult struggle I’m having today, if I don’t come up with
some weird and terrifying thing that’s going on in my mind, or with my body,
then I’m not going to have the attention of that person that I so desperately
desire getting attention from.” It makes
them feel special.
We don’t have to make a name for ourselves to be special. We don’t have to be the victim of some
terrible thing in order to get love and affection. I want to start something new. I want to begin to recognize the ordinary
people and start telling them how truly special they really are. That person who goes to work every day and
gives 100% of themselves to their job while they’re there, that’s actually very
unique and pretty special. That soldier
who goes off risking life and limb to stand for freedom, not doing it for the
pay or the pat on the back, you are extraordinary. The police officer, firefighter, all first
responders, you also do what you do, not for the pay, not for the thank you,
but because you know someone needs to and it’s the right thing to do. You are amazing special people.
For the mom who decided her career would be raising her
kids, who decided the name she would make for herself was mommy, and whose
recognition only needs to come from the eyes of her child. You are an exceptional woman who has made the
best name for herself. To the man who
has decided that his family is the priority, who works his heart out caring and
providing for the needs of his loved ones.
You have decided that being daddy is the most extraordinary thing you
could ever do. You are indeed special.
I could go on describing ordinary people that are just
tromping through life taking care of the things that need to be taken care of,
not needing someone to tell them that their special, not needing to make a name
for themselves, not needing to be remembered in posterity for evermore. Because I think you know people like this and
many of you are people like this. I'd say you are very special.
I kind of like having a boring life; well what most people
would consider boring. I’ve come to
appreciate the ordinary rhythm of my life. I will never be famous, people will
never speak my name with reverence and awe, but I think people will remember
me, at least a few will, and I hope that they remember that I was kind, that I
showed them love and compassion, that I was there when they needed me, that I
was a shoulder to cry on, and one of their best cheerleaders. Most of all I hope that they remember that in
all that I did, all that I do, I desire to bring glory and honor to God. Because you see it isn’t about me, it isn’t
about me making a name for myself, it isn’t about me being special and unique,
it’s about living my life every day, predictable and mundane as it might be, to
honor God and to love others.
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
