The Same – Yet Different

There is a commonness to humanity.  We eat.  We sleep.  We communicate.  We have joys, and we have griefs.  We have those we love, and those who love us.

One of my friends told me years ago that his mother instilled into him, “You are not better than anyone else, but you are not beneath anyone else, either.”  This was the motto he lived by, but somehow I knew there was something wrong with that saying.

It is true, we have many things in common, and in so many ways what my friend expressed showed a certain humility, and awareness that we are no better or worse than anyone else.  You may be smarter, but someone else is wiser.  You may be prettier, but someone else is more caring.

But, while we are in many ways the same, there is also a uniqueness that accompanies every individual who has ever been born.  There are no two human beings who are exactly alike, nor has ever been.  There are now billions of humans living on this shared planet, but each is unique and different from all the rest.  Each person is irreplaceable, and yet we are mortal.

Who can unravel this puzzle, this mystery?

Well, of course, it is in the hands of God.  Although my view is not always shared by many, I take the stand that God has a purpose for each life.  This purpose is unique, and not shared by anyone else, although others may participate in the purpose, or be affected by that purpose.  Sometimes the purpose is clear to everyone, but often it is only known and understood by God, Himself.

Your very existence is the result of an extraordinary event, even a miracle.  You would not be here today and reading this if certain events had occurred at a different time or place.  If a different ‘seed’ (this is a family post) had met with a different egg, you would be an entirely different person than you are today, or you might not exist at all.  The very fact that these events came together at precisely the right time and place, makes you unique.

Add to that the experiences you’ve had in your life, whether good or bad.  These have also shaped and molded you into what you are today.  Add to that the choices we’ve made along the way, some good, some not so good.

While unraveling the mystery of life is beyond this post (or any other), there are some things we can say with some certainty:

1. God created you to be the unique person you are
2. God has a purpose for your life
3. Life has meaning, although we may not always understand what that meaning is
4. Our life has meaning beyond this mortal existence
5. While some choices can be debated, it’s never a bad thing to help someone else in need, or who is less fortunate than ourselves
6. What you do for God will be rewarded, if not in this life, in the life to come

So. yes, in many ways we are the same, but we are also different, unique, special, and one-of-a-kind.