Killing Individuality

we are NOT meant to be clones, except in Christ's nature. not conformed out, smothered into looking like everybody else. He created us UNIQUE, none of us alike, and i do not understand the urge to look the same as everybody else.

i do not want to look like one of those models for lane bryant or penningtons, thanks.

i sullied myself tonight by watching my most hated (and yet most addicting, and enraging, too) tv show of all time (at least these days, lol!) - what not to wear. and they had this beautiful, fiery, spunky woman with a kitty cat t-shirt ('not age appropriate' smapropriate!) and the wildest, kewlest hair i've seen in ages. they said to her that her streaking job (which was funkalicious) made it look like her naturally curly hair had worms in it.... how is that going to make ANY woman watching this tv show on the face of the earth going to feel good about themselves if they do not match stacy and clintons standard of 'beauty'? her hair was AWESOME, i loved it, and i knew they would kill it, and they did.

and 'age apropriate'? age is how old you feel, act, and live: remember the poem about the woman who when she was old she would wear purple? how many of us put things off, or NEVER do it/wear it, etc, becuase of ridiculous, stifling sentiments such as 'age appropriateness'..... yeah, a 70 year old wearing purple stripes and floral flip flops may draw some eyes, but i can guarantee not all of them are going to be ridiculing: there are gonna be eyes that are wistful, i wish i had the guts to dress with that kind of freedom! to just be who i am! to express the unique creation i am of God!!!!!

ok, and another gripe: closing doors to ministry. what a blanket statement to stifle God's unique design in each of us: fear of man. like i said: there are gonna be eyes that are wistful when they see people who look/act/are 'different'..... and what about them? are they going to relate necesarrily to the three peice suit lady? maybe.... but maybe not. do we expect them to conform to so-called [percieved] "church standards" before they come to church? so why should we abandon our God-given uniqueness once we are in the church? and how can we be effective in reaching ANYONE if we are not comfortable in our own skin, in our own personality, never mind whether we dress like them or not?

a "genuine" hippie chick can reach a three peice suit anyday, if it's God's will..... more easily than someone who is dressing and/or acting 'falsely' in an effort to be all things to all people.... if it is 'false'.

i don't image Jesus faked out and put on His sunday best before He went to visit the pharisees or the tax collectors or the rich folk.... He prolly still had his dusty sandals and regular ol' cloak on.

and even then there was room for those strange folk that wore hairshirts and didn't shave and ate locusts and wild honey.... and them nuts that did things like lay on their side for 7 years.......

God doesn't conform us, He created us all uniquely and not to judge one another. the Accuser tries to conform us, and causes us to consider people in different ways becuase of how they look or their status or whatever. didn't Jesus tell us not to do that?

i am a Jesus Freak. an Alien on this planet. all becuase of me being a unique creation of God, so i'll dang well wear it on my sleeve... or in my hair, etc!!! lol!!!!!!!