stephaniegilbreath - The Beauty in Difference

There are multiple things God has been teaching me while I have been here. I've decided to share one of those things for my post this week.

I often find myself caught up in how different I feel here in Bandung, Indonesia. It's rare to see foreigners. Aside from my teammates, I think I've seen one other foreigner in the last two weeks. People openly stare at my teammates and I everywhere we go...In fact, they often take videos and request numerous selfies. After a week of receiving this special treatment, I became irritated and resentful of the attention I was receiving. They kept saying "Chantique", which means "beautiful" in the Bahasa language, but all I heard was "different." Strangely enough, the staff members at the school I serve at have a little chant they have the students repeat every class period. It goes, "I am smart. I am great. I am good. Be different." At first, it really sounded like they were saying "beauty friend" not "be different." The more I thought about it, the more I connected the two.

In the past, I've accepted difference but it was never something I really embraced. I didn't necessarily view it in a positive light. I would much rather connect over similarities...and differences, well, differences were something to acclimate to.

What if differences were meant to be beautiful though? What if we embraced them instead of merely accepting them or eventually acclimating to them? What if we saw difference as an opportunity rather than a barrier? God's creation is different. No two are exactly alike.There will never be another "you" that walks the earth. God created you differently from the rest. And though you may have similarities to others, you remain different. You were "beautifully" and "wonderfully" made.

There's a story in the Bible about a Samaritan woman at a well. Samaria wasn't the most desirable place. It probably had rats and cockroaches...not sure. Anyways, Jesus goes there. He goes there and approaches a Samaritan woman at a well to ask for a drink of water. First of all, Samaritans and Jews didn't talk. They were too "different." Secondly, men and women didn't partake in activities together...and a Jewish man would certainly not ask a random Samaritan woman for a drink of water. Jesus did though! Jesus looked past the differences. The Samaritan woman's differences did not intimidate Jesus. In fact, Jesus took the opportunity to meet this woman and share life. He was interested in her story, her heart and ultimately, her salvation.

What if we began to see differences as beautiful opportunities? My teammates and I are very different from each other. Each of us have different personalities, with weaknesses and strengths and varying knowledge sets. We have an architect on our team as well as an english language instructor. Shauny can sing like no other. Her voice is absolutely beautiful. When we unite to share the Gospel, our differences work together beautifully. A large part of sharing faith is tied to difference. There's a difference between a believer and a nonbeliever.

Lately, the selfies haven't bothered me...and that's because I have begun to see the beauty in difference. I hope they see that I'm different. I hope that they notice not only how different I look but how different my heart looks because of Jesus. Selfies may feel excessive but they can also show love. Yes, my cheeks are sore...But if that's the small sacrifice I have to make for someone to know Jesus, I am doing it! If the Samaritan woman had asked Jesus for a selfie, I'm sure He would have said "yes" too.

Still a little under 2,000 dollars away from my fundraising goal. So thankful for your prayers in regards to health, safety and loving people here.