We had a wonderful day of adventure in the Little Belt mountains this summer with these wonderful friends. Four wheelers and dirt bikes made it even more fun 🙂 the kids all did wonderful and I’m hoping we can go again next year 😉
The view was breathtaking and we followed such gorgeous mountain trails. Sun scented pines. Fields of Wildflowers (although they were past their prime). Narrow ledges along steep mountain faces. And Rocky terrain that was barren and wind whipped and wild.
(Yep, we went all the way to the top. Talk about a rough ride….but so worth it!)
Our scenery changed so drastically it reminded me of the drastic opposites in personalities. Now please understand these pictures have no reflection on the people in them. In other words….we don’t have drastic personality clashes with them. (Lol.) The colorful personalities brought out parts of this blog post so I just had to share them.
Did you know that with an app on your phone you can translate your spoken words into Chinease, Spanish, Latin, or Russian? And that’s just the beginning.
Guess what the most common phrases are that are translated every day?
“How are you?”
“Thank you!”
And my favorite….”I love you. ”
((This little guy concked out on the bumpiest part of the trail on the way down the mountain. Now I know he can truly sleep anywhere :))
I saw a commercial for this google app recently that grabbed my attention….it started with languages being interpreted. People smiling. New friends being made. And it ended with these words….
Be together. Not the same.
It struck me solid.
Life is full of this. I don’t know of any single other person that is exactly the same as any other single person.
Yet, we all have the same basic needs of survival in life. We all bleed red. We all breathe oxygen. We are all on Earth together.
We are all created by the same God.
We have all sinned. We are all broken.
We are all offered free salvation through Jesus’ death.
As SAME as we are in so many basic fundamental aspects of life, we somehow seem to forget our origin. We all started little. Helpless. We all grow into big people of those tiny origins.
Somewhere along the way in life the glamour and simplicity seems to fade and we forget that simple childish view of life. We don’t understand each other. We jump to conclusions. We speak different dialects. We prioritize in different ways. We have different tastes and preferences. We have different opinions and fight different battles and wear different scars.
And somehow, the different is all we can see.
I am understanding more and more how OK it is to be different from those I love. That’s agreeing to disagree on some things in life is healthy. That my own desire to desperately control makes me want other people to think like me. I am slowly learning to accept and embrace the differences and understand the dialects.
When we don’t understand the language, then we need to bring it to the Interpreter of heart and mind and ask Him for understanding and translation.
So often I am too busy to stop and bring my thoughts to God. I wonder how many heart aches and misunderstandings and fears would be relieved if I would simply utilize this wonderful tool of prayer that is free for all of us.
This praying thing that can be as natural as breathing. Available any time. In any place. For anyone.
We are beautiful together. Not the same. But beautiful. We can lift our faces to the Son. Bask in His peace. Worship our Creator. And pass the Interpretor love on to those we meet every day. Let Him teach us genuine love that makes others feel value, accepted, and LOVED.
Just like the gorgeous Wildflowers that blend into the loveliest bouquet.
They remind me again….of our Wildflower Girl…
And how different is truly SO BEAUTIFUL!
Wildflower Muse 
This is a subject that I sometimes Chew my cud on. It is good we are different and good to not expect everyone to be like me. And then when is it good to be influenced by each other? I’ve learned to be more responsible because of the community in which I live. Not necessarily painlessly, but I am glad I’ve learned what I have.
Sometimes do our differences mean that I should submit. Last Saturday I bought the girls sweaters that I was so tickled with. They coordinated with all their Sunday dresses. They were not v-neck. (Whoo hoo!). They were, in my opinion, beautiful!! In the middle of glittery, ruffly, captiony (Believe In Me!/I’m the Boss!) Walmart, they looked plain. The next morning I told them once they are completely ready for church, I’ll show then they’re new sweaters. Our eyes were all shining. They put them on. The dresses and sweaters together–gorgeous. Perfect fit. But I knew in the pit of my stomach that those varigated sweaters was not what “church” was hoping to see. I explained to the girls how it looked OK in the middle of… Walmart but at home doesn’t look the same and I apologized for making it hard for them. Imagine the disappointment. Inside I was going, grrr! Could I just throw off some of the restrictions? We went to church and guess what the sermon was on? We were alienated now accepted by Gods gift if we accept it. Sometimes he just wants to throw off all these regulations and see what fun the world has to offer him. He drew a large > on the board demonstating when we start with wide open freedom, it closes in on us later in life with pain and disappointment and loneliness. When we accept God’s < we give up ourselves but things open up to us the more we mature.
So in faith, I return the sweaters. Not because I think they are bad or someone said I have to, but because I choose to respect/submit to other people's opinion because this is where we are right now. (And believe me, he was writing adultery, lying… On the board, not variegated sweaters but that is where obedience and respect step on my toes. I think he mentioned total freedom of opinion).
Another subject to hash– how to attractively invite people to grow.:). Or should we always affirm each other since God made us different.
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Oh yes Beth! I chew on it too;) Bless your heart.
I have so much to learn and understand on the whole subject yet.
It is beautiful when people are tender to others expectations and convictions! I think if we live the way God commands us and treat others with the genuine love and respect He asks us to and supplies us with, we are doing what He asks of us.
If I try to change my husband for instance, it never works. Partly because I dont usually have the right attitude and partly because God is the only one who can truly bring lasting change.
Changing someone to think like me is not changing them to think like God even if I am right. Because I am human. Get what I mean? God has to do the changing even if I can have a positive influence .
So yes! Iron sharpens iron….friends sharpen friends….
We all need to /live in peace with each other/to the best of our ability that God gives us.
Maybe this isn’t what you were referring to…..
I was just jotting my thoughts down that have been on my heart recently. I know there are always two ditches to get stuck in life….
Right now I am pleading with God to give me His eyes and heart and mind so I can reach others with His love.
This world is so full of people that need it so desperately!
Including me:)
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Oh honey, this is so good, on so many levels. A lot of what you said I am currently chewing on. The book Keep Your Love On is very enlightening, and your post reminded me of it. God loves diversity and division. In fact, He created it. Hugs to you!
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Thanks Sadie!!
I would love to read the book! I’ve been thinking about this so much the last while and while I am so far from figuring it all out 🙂 I am so excited about Gods wonderful love!!
Hugs
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