On fitting in

"Be yourself, everyone else is already taken" - Oscar Wilde

I arrived at my Munich hotel yesterday en route to Moscow, delayed a day due to problems with my visa but provided with yet another opportunity to practice what I preach - that my circumstances will not determine or influence my attitude. Undeterred by the fact that my hotel was on the grounds of the Munich Airport, I dropped my luggage in my room, changed into my running gear, and headed out. Needless to say, I was the only runner circum-navigating the access roads in and around Airport Munchen and over the course of my run I was subjected to strange stares, comments in German I could not understand, and the blare of car horns challenging my right to share the roads. But running is simply what I do so I continued. And I finished. I passed by the beer gardens several times, knowing I'd be there later but realizing how much better I'd feel enjoying a beer after a good run. It would have been the easier choice to skip the run and head straight for the beer garden, but as I have learned "easy" is a far more common choice and I choose a different path. It's easier to fit in. It's harder to stand out. It's easier to follow the crowd. It's harder to stand alone. It's easier to make the more comfortable choice. It's harder to choose discomfort and delay gratification. It's easier to conform to societies concept of who you should be. It's far harder to disregard societal pressures and remain true to you. It's easier chasing material wealth and other false gods. It's harder dropping the pursuit of everything and following Christ. I believe we are called to do "hard". I believe we are called to stand out, to take on the stares and the challenges which come from going against the norm, against the societal flow, going on Faith and believing. As I have found, it is never the easier route, but it is ALWAYS the most rewarding route, in the end. We were never promised "easy" in this life as followers of Christ, but we were promised victory over death and eternal life. And to me, that's worth every bit of hard we will encounter along the way when we choose to stand out and stand firm. Believe.  

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2