I've loved the idea of taking the path less traveled my whole life. I always had a sense that mine was not to be a typical road. I've felt so far that it hasn't been. But only just now has it occurred to me that in some way, we all must take the path less traveled, and those paths are all different.
There was a time in my naivete that I believed there was only ONE correct path, and I knew from the scriptures that "few there be that find it" (Matt 7:14). I've come to realize, however, that this point of view is harsh and unfair. Though there are certain checkpoints (i.e. baptism, keeping the commandments, etc.) in life that all must pass through in order to gain eternal life, everyone is unique, and we all must experience life uniquely. This means there are many paths, and more than one of them is correct. God can guide us down the path that is best for us, but that does not mean that path is right for everyone else. There is black and white, but also plenty of grey, and it's in the grey that we often find ourselves looking down (or up) our noses at someone. The God-given gift to choose for ourselves is so important.
I think what I'm trying to say is best summed up with the quote "In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity." Isn't it beautiful! Maybe I'll make it one of my new year's resolutions.
I've come to realize that we should rejoice that our lives are different from others', rather than feeling competitiveness, envy, or judgementalness. Why? Most importantly, because we are all children of God, and we are all loved equally and will receive the same reward after this life if we are worthy. There is no true competition between God's children. God gives and God takes away. We cannot claim any accomplishment for ourselves, only thank God for the blessings he has given us. The true competition is within, between our worst selves and our best selves. Second, our lives are enriched and we learn and grow by being around others who are different from us.
You're probably asking, why is she writing a post about this? Honestly, I've been going through a bit of a personal "growth-spurt", adjusting to a new city, new people, and trying to find my place in a totally different world. It's been one of those times that are just plain awkward and uncomfortable! But you've got to go through the pain before you ever see the growth (at least I'm hoping to look back and realize that I grew!), and these are the things that I've been thinking about during this time.
Now that I've got this out of my system, maybe I'll work on a Christmas post :)
-Kamie
