There’s a precious lady I work with, and I love her dearly. She’s energetic, kind, and yes, a bit weird! I myself am quite the weirdo, so I guess that’s one of the things that makes her so relatable. Followers of Jesus are called to be a little weird; we are called to stand out from the crowd. When we are living in true authenticity, we will inevitably stand out as God made us all differently, uniquely. God never intended for any of us to look the same.

The thing about weirdos, they don’t care what other people think. I think this is what makes them so magnetic to me. It’s the weirdos that truly have peace! They don’t attempt to fit in or gain approval because they already know they don’t fit any kind of mold.

In the fourth grade, I started fresh at a new school. I didn’t know anyone, and for a ten year old, that’s pretty scary. There were a group of girls who immediately welcomed me, and I went home and told my mom and dad all about my new friends. That first month, we sat next to each other in class and during lunch in the cafeteria; we had sleepovers too. By September, a new group of girls had begun to warm up to me, and it was at this time, I began to understand the social structure of my school. This new group of girls looked a lot different from my current friends. They dressed differently; they talked differently, and they even had boyfriends. These girls were the popular girls, and the group of girls I had become friends with were the nerds.

It was at this point, a decision had to be made. I was forced to choose between the popular crowd or the nerds. I’m ashamed to admit who I chose. Not only because it highlighted the shallowness of my little ten year old brain, but because I never actually fit in with those popular girls. I spent the rest of my youth a loner, drifting from clique to clique, never really finding my place with anyone. Maybe that was the way it was meant to be. After all, it forced me into working on my relationship with God as well as myself—the most important relationships one could ever have. A part of me, though, longed for a second chance. I longed for genuine friendship with genuine people.

For quite a long time, I never got that second chance. I found myself wondering about that group of girls and if we would still be friends today had I just stayed where God had originally placed me. “If I could go back in time, God, I would.” I prayed. I whole heartedly regretted the decision I made so many years ago, and I repented for it as well.

Today I seek out people who aren’t afraid to be themselves, and I’m proud to say I too am one of those people. I no longer live in the shadow of what other people think of me, and I hope you don’t either. We are called higher; we are called to peace, and we are all called to embrace the “weirdo” inside of us.