Christian Living

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Special Education
©

by

Stephen A. Peterson

…The Lord, your God has chosen you to be a special people to himself…
Deut. 7:6


Have you ever desperately wanted to be someone else or wanted to look like another person? Have you ever been convinced that if you did, everything would be changed for the better?

There was a time, during my elementary school years, when I wished I could look like Jay Silverheels, Tonto, the tough, smart, good looking sidekick of the Lone Ranger, who was really the only visible minority of any racial group on television in the middle and late 1950’s. One day I read in a TV Guide magazine article that Mr. Silverheels washed his face in an oatmeal-honey mixture and ate oatmeal, honey and raisins for breakfast each and every morning. “Yeah!”, I thought, “Here is my key to a new and exciting life! I’m going to be as tough and as good looking as Jay Silverheels!”

So I emptied the change out of my savings bank, rushed out of the house, brought the largest box of Quaker Oats, a box of Sun Maid Raisins and honey, went back home and then locked myself in the bathroom. Hours later I emerged, looking like…no, not Jay Silverheels! “Oh, I know! I’ve got to eat some oatmeal-raisins-honey.” Finally, after four days of this routine, I didn’t show any changes. I still didn’t look anything like my hero. When I went out and fought the bad guys, well, I got whipped up on! They fought back!! Frustrated I wondered how Mr. Silverheels really looked so good and had become such a good fighter. I was disappointed that I could not make the change.

Later in the month, in telling my Uncle Pierre about this episode, I bemoaned the fact that I could not look like Jay Silverheels nor be as tough. Uncle Pierre, in his wisdom, stated, “Steve, you don’t need to look like Jay Silverheels or anyone else for that matter. God made you. There is not another person like you and never will be. You are absolutely special to Him. Always remembered that. He (God) made you to do and to be the best you can be. Just pray and listen to Jesus. He’ll tell you what that is. Going around picking fights, well that is certainly not God’s plan! You are to love and respect everybody. Not fight them! You fight only to defend yourself.

Uncle Pierre was right. When I stopped wanting to be someone else and possessing what they had, I looked to God to determine His reason for my existence, meaning and purpose to life did being someone else not matter. I turned to prayer and His Word to find out who I am and asked for answers and got answers them. Could it be why so many people of all ages and groups today work hard to be what they are not and fear living?

Prayer: Father in Heaven, keep reminding us daily that we are special in Your sight.

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