My Own Unique Color

“Then God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.’ And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:11-12

The road in front of my home has a row of maple trees on each side. During the summer they all look pretty much the same. They were all planted the same year so they are all approximately the same width and height. During hot summer months they are all the same dark shade of green. Now that fall has arrived they no longer look the same. A few of them have just a little color showing on top, a nice shade of red. A few more are turning color all over, but it looks more the leaves are fading to a light green. One tree has all of its leaves turned a uniform dark red.

The last place I lived was an apartment that looked out on a courtyard. In the courtyard were elm trees that were all the same species. They also started turning color at different times during the fall. What is more, each one turned a different color. A couple would fade from green to a bright gold or a cheery yellow. Several more would turn shades from orange to amber. The last couple of them would darken to a deep red. Each year I was amazed all over again that nine trees could create such a wonderful variety of different fall colors.

I am really glad that God made so many different kinds of trees and flowers and animals. The world is just more interesting to live in when it is full of such splendid variety. To see a flower that I have never seen before. To see a bird do something I have never observed before. The variety spices up life, and if I keep my eyes open, the variety keeps each day from being exactly like every other day that has come before. I would have to say that I have embraced the idea that God must be a God of variety when I consider all that He created.

For a long time I have thought that people must be a lot like the rest of God’s creation. There are people from Africa, and from Asia, and from Europe. There are tall people and short people. People with lots of hair and people with almost no hair. I would look out at a crowd of people and measure variety by hair color, skin color, height, and a half dozen other measures. But I am beginning to think that God’s idea of variety goes far beyond what I can see when I look at another person.

I am beginning to see that God intends for me to grow up and mature in a way that is unique to me. He has planted specific spiritual strengths in me that don’t exist in the same way inside any other person. For a long time I thought that I was supposed to become like this pastor or that church leader. Now I see that I am supposed to become who God planned for me to become before I was even born. It is an idea that has brought much freedom to my life. I am now free to become who God intends me to become instead of trying to fit into the mold of someone else. I know God is offering you that same freedom too.

[PhotoCredit:Ctd 2005 & blakeimeson & Grantsview]