This series features writing from inmates at the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center. The articles stem from weekly programming facilitated by the Colorado College Prison Project. Through contact between the CC community and Colorado Springs, this series aims to simultaneously broaden CC perception of incarceration issues and provide a platform for incarcerated writers. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office requires approval of written material prior to publication and the removal of authors’ last names. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the EPCSO or the Prison Project.
By MORE THAN WORDS
When it comes to having good relationships, it is vital that we learn to accept the differences in people. God created each of us differently on purpose. Those who are different from you are unique and special, and not people who got in all the wrong lines when God was passing out personality traits.
I used to think “where was I when God handed out the nice genes?” I was right where I was supposed to be, receiving what God wanted me to have, and so were you and everyone else. Let’s remember that God created each of us in our mother’s womb carefully and intricately. We are not a mistake just because we are not like someone else.
Thinking that everyone should be like we are, as well as thinking that we should be like everyone else, is one of our biggest problems in relationships. This kind of wrong thinking causes wrong attitudes that are damaging to healthy and satisfying marriages, friendships, and work relationships. The truth is that God has created us all differently on purpose, and although I don’t always understand why some people are the way they are, I do know I am called to love and accept them and not to think something is wrong with them because they don’t seem to be a perfect match for me.
How dull and uninteresting life would be if everyone looked and behaved exactly alike and had the same temperament. What if every tree and flower were the same, and every bird, dog, cat, etc. Oh, so boring!
We can learn to appreciate the variety of people God has placed in the world, and we can learn how to think about differences between ourselves in a way that honors God and improves our relationships.
How many people do we shut out of our lives, exclude, and criticize, making them feel inferior just because they are not like we are? Probably more than we care to count. We each connect with some people more than others, but even if we don’t want to be a person’s best friend, we can appreciate their uniqueness as God’s creation and make every effort to make them.