I Thought I was Unique

Before you begin to feel sorry for yourself that I'm suggesting that you are not unique listen to this. I want to let you all know that you are made for a purpose in the image of God and with great opportunity to your life. No one around has your exact features and so you are unique by what you look like, by your personality and by your own experiences. So when you read this article just keep all of that in mind ok? This isn't to make you feel unimportant but it's to let you know that you are not alone! 

We celebrated someone’s birthday today! I love celebrating birthdays because more than just celebrating a special day to someone it is a celebration of their life and your connection to it. So few times do we take to celebrate the people around us and show them they are special but there are some great markers in life and a birthday is one of those days. Then I started thinking… I know that’s scary! I thought about how unique this day is to them that we can celebrate the time they were born but then I started to think bigger. I thought that there are only 365 days in most years and that just in Canada alone whose population is fairly small on a global scale at about 33 million that more than one person is sharing this day as a celebration of their birth. In fact on average in Canada there are over 90,000 people who share the same birthday as each of you. That’s wild!

I’ve only known one other person to share my birthday before, thank you Lyle Sweeney! In fact we shared the same year as well and were born only hours apart and spent a few years growing up together. Good times!

Anyways, this got me thinking about how we often think that we are the only ones that are struggling with something specific or that we might be the only ones thinking a certain way. But the reality is that there are many others right around you that can relate to what you are thinking or feeling. I guess it’s fear of others not being able to relate to us that makes us quiet about what we are going through but we share so much more than we think we do.

I thought that I had a very unique experience happen to me that I was not proud to share to many and I really didn’t know who I could talk to about it. I had talked with a couple of close friends that helped share my burdens but they had never gone through what I had and yet I wanted so badly to glean from someone else who had experienced what I had and had overcome the hardship. So I was on my way to a conference where my prayer had been that I could talk to someone about what I was going through. I didn’t really care who because I didn’t really know anyone but I just wanted someone who would listen.

In one session that I was in we were told to introduce ourselves to a neighbour and we were asked a question of what to share with them. Our names were obvious and then a question like, “Where are you from?” or “What is your job position?” Then he question came up, “What is a struggle that you have experienced this past year?” Most of my life if I was asked this question I would give a sub-deep answer that would look something like, “My son has been having some behavior issues that we are dealing with” or “We are wondering if we change jobs” or “I don’t know what colour to paint my hallway.” You know, something that everyone really goes through without giving any real details away but still shows that you’re making an effort to answer the question and seem authentic.

But this was not that type of time for me in my life. When asked what I was struggling with I laid it out. I told him of the deep hurt that was in my life that was still very fresh. I probably started crying and for those who know me won’t be really surprised at that. It was a time for me to get it off my chest and I thought the time was done.

But then something happened that I never expected.

He responded with these words, “That happened to me a number of years ago too.”

What?

Shut up!

God I only expected to share my burden with someone else but this far exceeded my expectations of the experience! We shared the moment and agreed to do lunch the next day.

Our only task was to introduce ourselves to someone we were sitting close to. And in the midst of our simple task I was overwhelmed that something so divine could take place. I didn’t even care what the session was anymore. I had got my monies worth for the whole conference let alone that one session.

Side Note: The speaker at the session had nothing to say to me actually. He was talking about finding the right job and in fact just a year earlier I found a job that I had come to love and didn’t want to think about finding another job for years. But that introduction was all worth it.

I’m not that unique! What I’m going through has happened to many people around me. What you are going through has happened to many people around you whether good or not so good.

I feel less alone after that experience and many others I’ve had and I hope the same for you too. Take time to share your life with someone. To share the hurts, struggles, joys and celebrations with those around you. You may be happy to feel a little less unique as well!