Be the "You"

Friday was an interesting day.  I met with a young lady named Erika Harold.  Erika is a former Miss America.  She won the crown in 2003.  She is also a graduate of Harvard Law School. She was in Hardin and I had lunch with her at the Barefoot Landing.  While I thought it was impressive that a little old preacher like me could be having lunch with a former Miss America, even more impressive is who she was.  She was the kindest, humble, and compassionate soul I have ever met.  In a world surrounding by cliques and stature, around that table no such thing existed.  There were five of us and each one of us came from different backgrounds and different areas.  Each one of us do different things for a living but on that day, around the table, none of those things existed.  In my travels through life, I have met some famous people and some non-famous people.  I have met some who were rich and some who were not so rich.  I have met people of different nationalities and race.  I have been in some extravagant homes and I have been in some humble homes.  Despite all the positions and conditions, there is one thing I have noticed, people in general are the same.  In my conversations with Erika, it stood out that she was as real or genuine as one could be.  She didn’t want you to see her as a Miss America.  She did not want you to see her as a lawyer or politician.  She wanted you to see her as Erika Harold.  She wanted you to see her as a person who cares.  She wanted you to see her as one of you.  She could have gone anywhere else and met different people but she chose to meet with someone like me, an ordinary person simply striving to make a difference in the community and county.  She was simply…herself.  I am reminded of a story of a young man who met a beautiful girl on the plane.  He tried to strike up a conversation and asked her what kind of men she liked.  She said she liked Indian men because of their tan color.  She also like Jewish men because they were generally rich.  She further stated that she liked country boys for their rugged way of life and monster trucks.  She finally asked him his name and he responded, “I am Geronimo Benjamin but my friends call me Bubba.”  Too often we try to be different things to different people when all we need to be is ourselves.  It is the only way people can really know who we are.  It doesn’t matter where you come from or what you do, simply be the you God intended you to be.  Forget the cliques and social statuses, simply accept and enjoy people for who they are because in reality: a sure fire way to make a difference in the lives of others.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…(Psalm 139:14)