put em in a box

Today I was thinking about some of the friends I have made over the years. Being a people loving person, I realize that people are the spice of life. The older I get, the more open I seem to be to people who are unlike myself. I've always had a thing for helping those in need, but I think I have put people in a box. What a realization! Nope, I'm not proud of that.

Clicks seem to begin in grade school, especially with girls. I remember thinking early on that "so & so" was different than me. I think in my own way I boxed people up,  & my expectations for that friendship  probably helped shape the actual relationship that followed. I don't want to get into the specifics of how I boxed them up. Let's just say I wish I hadn't.

When I was a youth leader, I once showed the kids a video. The video came from Dare2Share, & it challenged the youth NOT to walk into school seeing other students with labels over their heads. It literally showed a multitude of students, each with a different label above his/her head. The labels covered a variety of categories from smart to pothead to whore. You get the picture. I think popular was in there too.

Labels are harmful because they separate people. Once you see a person as a label, you limit yourself from seeing the rest of that person. Once you see a person as a label, you automatically assume they will own certain traits. You build a safety net around yourself with limited access. Maybe you will nod your head & say hello, but that might be the extent of how that relationship evolves.

Perhaps you fear being impacted by people who are different, so you don't allow them to get beneath the surface. Sometimes people are so insecure that they have to put people who are different down. They may even sneer at them or make fun of them. Perhaps they puff themselves up to justify ignoring those who don't fit cookie cutter molds.

I'm here to say, that the more we embrace our differences, the more we grow as people. Yes, we are all different. Those who live on the outside, never really feeling accepted, never really feeling as if they belong, have so much to offer. As I age, I am making a conscious effort to embrace people who I see as different. My higher hope is that one day I won't even see them as different. My life is so enriched by these people. Our pastor recently asked us who we'd like to have seated at our banquet table in Heaven. I hope my table (if there is one) will be filled with these people.