I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need to be reminded that being different isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
So as I was strolling down bloggy memory lane the other day, this post surfaced… I giggled– and realized that perhaps it might encourage someone else’s heart besides mine… So here it is again. No drama. All Brahma. (Sidenote for all of you non-agricultural folks… Brahma is a breed of cattle. Read on to learn more 😉 )
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Being unique is awesome.
You might have already picked up on the fact that I personally am a little, um, “different from most. Ok, maybe even weird. Perhaps odd is a good word? How about eclectic? I don’t know a whole lot of small-town southeast Kansas girls who graduated with an animal science degree that now work at a church only after becoming a certified auctioneer and graduating citizen’s police academy just because. RANDOM. I say this to point out that while yes, my personality is sometimes a little bizarre, it really makes for a good time (not to mention some great conversation pieces.)
It really is disheartening when folks assume that because someone or something is different, it is BAD. Bad and different are not interchangeable vocabulary words. I think it is a healthy habit to embrace things that are different– whether it is a food, a location, a person, or in my family’s case, an animal.
 Check out those ears! |
My Mama has always like Brahma cattle. You know the ones– the bovine with the big ol’ hump and floppy ears that are most well known for their buckin’ bull spirit at rodeos. A few years ago, my little brother Dal needed a 4-H project. Long story short: 5L Brahmans was born.
Over the past few years, Dal has grown his herd to several purebred Brahmas and several crossbreds. He has shown them at the local county fairs and done relatively well– but only after people got over the shock of seeing something so different.
It is safe to say that Dal’s quest to raise a rather unique breed of bovine has created some opportunities for ridicule. People question the quality. People ponder the motive. People sometimes poke fun or mutter comments. Kind of sounds like people’s reaction to Jesus huh?
Jesus was unique in such a remarkable way. Jesus never sinned (obviously different from all of mankind.) He loved those who persecuted Him. He led with love. He easily forgave others who repented. He hung out with the “unpopular crowd.” He laid down His life for you and me. Oh, and let’s not forget He was the Son of God.
Christ felt the effects of being different in the most profound way possible– hanging on a cross as the last breath left Him. Even in his final hours, he held fast to his unique sacrifice and mission. He didn’t back down when threatened. He didn’t run away or conform to the crowd. Instead, he paved the way into eternity… for big ol’ sinners like you and me. And we can’t forget that once we accepted Christ into our heart– we became NEW different. “The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.” (1 Samuel 10:6)
Are you embracing your uniqueness today? Or trying to hide it and being like everyone else? Are you like that owner of a small herd of Brahma cattle in Southeast Kansas, cherishing the traits/opportunities God gave you? Are you open to new things and embracing others who might be “different” as well?
Christ was different– and he was definitely a good kind of different. Let’s be like Him… Embrace your inner Brahma… Be different. It’s not only a good thing– but it’s a God thing!
Different Brahma with no drama,
SGK
“…But my dove, my perfect one, is unique, the only daughter of her mother…” Song of Solomon 6:9
