I'm the Only Me You Get

First, I must admit that I'm very picky when it comes to shoes; very rarely do I find a pair that I like enough to purchase. Even on "good feet" days, my favorite shoes are flip-flops! I think they should be acceptable shoes for all occasions. OK, I know, they're not. 

Here's my situation: My foot and heel has been so irritated the last couple weeks (plantar fasciitis with a heel spur) that I have had trouble wearing any shoes, so my hubby graciously took a half-day off of work and so we could go shoe shopping. Isn't he a keeper!?

Anyhow, after browsing through multiple shoe stores, pressing down on the heel pads, inspecting for perfect arch support, and trying on several pairs I thought might be "IT", we ended our shopping day without success. I did enjoy my time with my wonderful hubby though and I suppose flip-flops (or bare feet) will be my option for the moment.

While I was shoe shopping, I kept thinking, "I needed shoes specifically designed for my foot shape. Not a generic pair of shoes from a plain, ordinary, rectangular box that is supposed to fit most any foot that is shoved into it." NO! I needed to be Cinderella...I needed something that would be a perfect fit. Just the right arch height and support, the perfect amount of cushion on the heel, not too tight, etc. You know, a perfect fit!

Later on, I was thinking about all those shoes and about how God specifically created each of us with different abilities, talents and traits. We're each suited for a specific purpose that only we can fill. That's right, each one of us are intended to do something that only we can do, we have a purpose that only we can fulfill, and God planned it and made us uniquely on purpose. Yeah, that's a lot of "purpose."

I'm the only ME you get. And you are the only YOU we get. 

"...called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, 

but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began..."  II Timothy 1:9

God doesn't work with one-size-fits-all projects. It's true, He specifically designed us, from our mother's womb, to be a perfect fit for the job, purpose, or calling that He has anticipated for us to do. He has instilled within us all we need to fulfill His plan - we have a "holy calling." It's not actually about us, it's not about our plan; we're a perfect fit for His plan. I'm the only me He made. There are no duplicates. Nobody else can fill that hole.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10

While it might sound a bit arrogant or confident (whichever way you might choose to view it), and maybe repetitive, please understand it from this perspective:

Shoes...they're replaceable. We're not. 

Shoe designers try to imagine what people will like and search for in a good shoe. God already knew, designed and fashioned us exactly how He anticipated us to perfectly fulfill His purpose. 

While we may change throughout our life time, God's doesn't change His mind about His purpose for my (and your) life - it is unchanging. I am not replaceable. What if we lived our lives boldly for the Lord with that thought in our minds? "I'm the only "me" this world gets! Lord, help me be effective and fulfill your purpose."

It might be difficult to find a shoe to fit properly, but we can hold our head up and know that we fit the plan of God perfectly, because He does all things well. Our shoes might not fit without cramping our toes, but we can be confident in knowing He made us and has worked within us so we will fit perfectly into His plan and fulfill His purpose. 

I might walk into 100 shoe stores in search of the perfect shoe, and walk out empty-handed, reverting to my favorite pair of flip-flops; but without a doubt I can be OK with that, because I know shoes are replaceable. Yet God always gets it right the first time.

Join me today! Dare we say it? Or believe it? YES!!! Let's settle it in our mind that God has a plan for our lives. Let's remind and encourage each other that we're designed for a Holy plan - to be all we can be and use everything He's instilled in us for His glory. Let's make up our mind to give our all and not settle for the flip-flop mentality.

Somebody say it with me, "I'm the only me you get."