Celebrate Diversity!

Did you ever contemplate how dull life would be without diversity? Everyone would look the same, talk the same, walk the same, like the same things and on and on.

In parenting such dullness is often longingly contemplated (especially by parents) when children respond to their siblings with jealousy or competitiveness. Yesterday I watched a very funny video: http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/400145. It sums up sibling rivalry (as I experienced it both as a sibling and a parent) with accurate humor, I think.

The two sons in the video are obviously totally different in personality and perspective. My bet is that the son in the chair is the oldest. He just acts like an oldest child. But he's not perfect no matter how straight he parts his hair - notice the nail-biting!

These two brothers aren't celebrating their diversity. They are both totally bugged by the diversity of the other! Celebrating diversity is a component of maturity so the brothers will have to grow into the maturity of appreciating their differences. Parents also have to learn to appreciate the differences in their children.

I remember well the day I began to appreciate the polar differences in our sons. One was playing community league football on the field and behind the stands the other was carving an intricate "city" into a mountain of construction sand. A light bulb came on for me that Saturday morning. Both my sons are gifted, and both have quirks. It's not better or worse; it's just different!

Inside the chest of each of my sons beats a heart that loves passionately. In the mind of each of my sons there are wheels that turn endlessly. But neither loves or thinks alike. It's not better or worse; it's just different!

It's these complexities and differences that bring beauty to the tapestry God is weaving in our family! It's the very differences that make for beauty in our family.

It's the same in the church family. God brings people with different strengths, different needs, different backgrounds together and weaves them into a family of faith that shines brighter against the darkness than it ever would were the diversity not there.

At A Restoration Church we are learning to celebrate our diversity. We are learning to appreciate our strengths and to stand together where we are weak. God brings the radical restoration of the Gospel to our hearts and then to our church family so we can share His life-changing Gospel with the community around us. At A Restoration Church we celebrate diversity! Come celebrate with us! We may be different but we're better for our diversity! God is taking those diverse threads (people) and weaving them together into beauty that He alone can bring!