Have you ever felt like you just don’t fit in? I remember when I was in 7th grade and my family moved from Springfield, Illinois to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. That was a bit of a culture shock for me. Many of the kids spoke with a Cajun accent I couldn’t understand, they ate foods like crawfish (I didn’t even know that was a food), and the teachers were different too. I still recall one of the first days in junior high when a teacher said something I didn’t hear. I replied “What?” She said, “Did you just say ‘what” to me? You say ‘ma’am’ or you’re going to the Principal’s office!” Lesson learned!
I’ve been thinking about fitting in during that 7th grade year in the context of our theme for this school year “We are the Body” based on I Corinthians 12:12-27. I Corinthians 12:18 says, “But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.” God has a plan for each of us, and a special place for us in His creation. I may have felt completely out of place in Baton Rouge as a 7th grader, but the truth is that I was exactly where God wanted me to be. And you won’t be surprised that I made friends, became active in our church youth group, and even learned to eat crawfish! How do you “fit” into God’s plan for His creation? How can you use the gifts God has graced you with? God has “arranged” you in the body of Christ exactly where you need to be. Now what is He calling you to do?