Why Not Me?
So besides the fact that the title of this blog was inspired by one of Phyllis Hyman's classics, it's the question I found myself asking the other day. I was also thinking of the movie Watchmen (based off the graphic novel, of course) where Laurie Jupiter finally realized the identity of her father. Her response was simply " No not him...", for her father, The Comedian, attempted to rape her mother before she was born. He was labeled as a total jerk who could care less about other people, despite him being labeled as a "hero". If you haven't read or watched the movie, you should. It's a literary masterpiece, written by Alan Moore.
Laurie couldn't understand why of all people that he was chosen to be her father. He didn't deserve, according to Laurie, the privilege of making such a decision with her mom whom she mirrored in several ways. How could this be, she wondered to herself. I found myself having the same thoughts in relation to a recent situation. Someone I knew was awarded for playing an outstanding role where they worked, yet to me, lacked decency in character. My response was also , No, not him. If anything, I felt he deserved the opposite. One can do well at what they are, but fail at who they are...drastically. As you can see, this assessment is mostly based off my opinion. More often than we care to admit, the issues we have aren't with other people, but ourselves. We can't control their actions and how they portray themselves in the eyes of man, but we can establish a controlled response. This person may never change, but I will, creating ways to combat their influence upon me and my demeanor.
Playing devil's advocate can be, at times, more good than bad. I informed my friends of how I felt about the situation and was immediately condemned. I will never see this person in the manner God does, for He knows the plans ahead of us (Jeremiah 29:11). He's already set things in motion for this individual, granting him unconditional love. Poppa from The Shack would say that He's especially fond of this person. Another thing to consider is if God could provide for someone who appears careless, in our opinion, to others, what rids Him of doing the same for us who does the contrary? Who am I to judge in the first place? What separates me from this person, granting me higher privilege? Nothing. This individual and I are both fighting battles. We both are in need of armor, yet God uses their circumstance to help build my protection for the future. Funny, right? I agree. God is thickening my skin because I'm going to need that extra layer.
"(Why not me)
Is it a crime to be myself
To be who I was meant to be
Why not me
(Why not me)
Doesn't everyone deserve to find their dream
Why not me
I wanna know
Can you tell me
Why not me
Could I be right
Could I wrong
To feel this way"
-Phyllis Hyman, "Why Not Me"
Do you find yourself asking the same question? If so, you're not alone. You look around and see everyone getting theirs except you. Maybe it's your time. Like children, we throw inner tantrums when those words are expressed. The adults in our minds remind us that we should never covet after someone else's possession. We should appreciate what we have, making room for whatever's due to come our way. Maybe God is waiting for your obedience because with it comes peace and joy. Someone may not deserve anything given to them according to our standards. Maybe someone views you the same way. This person I mentioned before got what God wanted him to have. So if God wants you to have something , you too should make room for all the haters who will be biting at your ankles.
Laurie couldn't understand why of all people that he was chosen to be her father. He didn't deserve, according to Laurie, the privilege of making such a decision with her mom whom she mirrored in several ways. How could this be, she wondered to herself. I found myself having the same thoughts in relation to a recent situation. Someone I knew was awarded for playing an outstanding role where they worked, yet to me, lacked decency in character. My response was also , No, not him. If anything, I felt he deserved the opposite. One can do well at what they are, but fail at who they are...drastically. As you can see, this assessment is mostly based off my opinion. More often than we care to admit, the issues we have aren't with other people, but ourselves. We can't control their actions and how they portray themselves in the eyes of man, but we can establish a controlled response. This person may never change, but I will, creating ways to combat their influence upon me and my demeanor.
Playing devil's advocate can be, at times, more good than bad. I informed my friends of how I felt about the situation and was immediately condemned. I will never see this person in the manner God does, for He knows the plans ahead of us (Jeremiah 29:11). He's already set things in motion for this individual, granting him unconditional love. Poppa from The Shack would say that He's especially fond of this person. Another thing to consider is if God could provide for someone who appears careless, in our opinion, to others, what rids Him of doing the same for us who does the contrary? Who am I to judge in the first place? What separates me from this person, granting me higher privilege? Nothing. This individual and I are both fighting battles. We both are in need of armor, yet God uses their circumstance to help build my protection for the future. Funny, right? I agree. God is thickening my skin because I'm going to need that extra layer.
"(Why not me)
Is it a crime to be myself
To be who I was meant to be
Why not me
(Why not me)
Doesn't everyone deserve to find their dream
Why not me
I wanna know
Can you tell me
Why not me
Could I be right
Could I wrong
To feel this way"
-Phyllis Hyman, "Why Not Me"
Do you find yourself asking the same question? If so, you're not alone. You look around and see everyone getting theirs except you. Maybe it's your time. Like children, we throw inner tantrums when those words are expressed. The adults in our minds remind us that we should never covet after someone else's possession. We should appreciate what we have, making room for whatever's due to come our way. Maybe God is waiting for your obedience because with it comes peace and joy. Someone may not deserve anything given to them according to our standards. Maybe someone views you the same way. This person I mentioned before got what God wanted him to have. So if God wants you to have something , you too should make room for all the haters who will be biting at your ankles.
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