Photo: Canva
Today, the word for FiveMinuteFriday is different.
I have always hated questions that ask me things like “What is your favorite color?”
Why? Because it all depends on the setting. My favorite color for hair is a lot different than my favorite color for my bedroom or a new dress, for example. I just don’t have one favorite color. But I love color!
In quilting, I have learned the importance of the varieties of color to set off a quilt. We need different shades of a color to make it pop as well as neutrals to show off the colors. If we have too much color and not some neutral to give our eyes a rest, it is confusing and gets to be too much. If there are only neutrals and no color, there is no pop! Pop is what makes your quilt sing.
In quilting, I have learned the importance of the varieties of color to set off a quilt. We need different shades of a color to make it pop as well as neutrals to show off the colors. Share on XWe need variety and differences
It is the same way when it comes to life. We need lots of different. I think of sameness as the neutrals in life. People who are like me are my neutrals. stop Their thinking may be similar to mine or their background may be similar to mine. I have rarely found anyone is just the same. Even my husband and I are different. That was when I first learned what was so great about variety.
The second time I learned about variety in more extreme ways was when we lived in Jamaica. A good friend there told me, “Martha, different is not better or worse, it is just different.” I use that as my rule when I assess differences now. Of course, some differences are not good, but not nearly as many as I once thought.
When I come up against someone who is different or has a way of doing things that are different, I take a look at it for what it is. It is different. Usually, it is morally neutral. Sometimes it is refreshing. Sometimes it is a way of doing things that I want to adopt. Sometimes it is a way of doing things that I want to enjoy or at least appreciate.
When I come up against someone who is different or a way of doing things that is different, I take a look at it for what it is. It is different. Usually, it is morally neutral. Share on XDifferences have brought fun variety to my life including some very interesting friends.
Differences have found me many, many good friends since I learned this truth all those years ago. In a world that changes so quickly, it does us well to adapt to the changes and differences that are positive and be the positive difference that we need to be when the changes around us aren’t!
Meanwhile, we can hold onto the GOD who never changes…in a good way!
“The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
‘You are a priest forever.’”
This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
(You can look it up to see the broader context! the point here is that Jesus doesn’t change and guarantees the covenant He has made with us. That won’t change.)
Amen Martha. We can appreciate differences. We can even love people and disagree with them at the same time.
Speaking of hair…I’ve seen some young gals with amazing pink/peachy hair, but I don’t think I’d have the guts to go all out although I am wearing a streak of teal in my bangs these days.
haha Christy:) i won’t even go into all the interesting hair colors:) i remember when my mom didn’t think dyeing hair was a Christian thing to do. not sure she ever did! she probably wasn’t thrilled to see me frosting my hair as an adult but…oh well. there are way too many issues to get heated up about today before i get excited over the color of someone’s hair:(
learning to appreciate all kinds of diversity has helped me so much as i have grown in my faith, particularly as a pastor’s wife! i no longer need to feel the need to approve of a person or their lifestyle when i meet them. that may sound like a weird statement, but it has been a huge growth step for me in my life once i became aware it was in my head. it has also been a huge burden to carry that is no longer there! it is jesus’ problem to deal with people. i’m just supposed to love them. i don’t even do my part well enough:(
not weird at all. Coming out of a very legalistic background I absolutely understand what you’re saying about the “need to approve” Merry Christmas friend!
hope you have a wonderful christmas christy:)
My fave color is mostly the same. Love green! But then again, You’re right…I don’t want green hair.
i just love variety tara:) with some exceptions, i don’t get into ruts…i have a few, but not many.that is both good and bad.
Martha, I am visiting from FMF! I really appreciated your comments about the value of differences in making life full and interesting, and how differences help to highlight the beauty of each individual thing. That even neutral colours are necessary to provide contrast, and help highlight and enrich the patterns. Thanks for your post!
i’m so glad you stopped by anne. i’m glad the post was helpful:) (after looking at your blog, i realized that your name was anne and not claudio:)
I so love the FMF! It brings posts like this to me. This is awesome. 🙂 Blessings to you.
thanks:) hope you have a great xmas:)