Adventures of the Supersized 6

My three older kids are attending VBS at their grandparents former church that is just around the corner from our home. Yes, my little ones are VBS junkies, they love any children's program they can get in to. But they love this particular one because it is the same publishing company and format that they have done since they started attending VBS. Anyhow, one of the moms I know from soccer and school, she says to me, "Your little girl," I reply, "Which one?" "Oh the older one with glasses." "Madie?" "Yes, she looks just like Dakota Fanning! She is absolutely adorable." I giggled and thanked her. I guess I never really thought about it before. She looks like Madison Elizabeth to me. But then I remembered hearing similar things when I was younger. I was once told that I looked like the singer from the funk group DeLite. Yes groove is in the heart. But what I heard most was how I reminded people of a young Natalie Wood. This was primarily from those in my moms generation, no one I went to school with would know who Natalie Wood was. They would even ask me if I knew who Natalie Wood was, are you kidding me. Gypsy was one of my favorite musicals, along with to West Side Story and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. They don't make good musicals anymore do they? Any how and I loved Love with the proper stranger and she played crazy so well is spledor in the grass. Although I am flattered at the comparison I am no Natalie Wood. All the same I thought it was funny that some one would see some cutie pie Dakota Fanning in my Madie girl. Even though Madie has a ways to go in discovering her calling she is unique.

God made each of so different, yet we make comparisons all of the time. Maybe it part of human nature to do so. Lets face it, beauty sells. The entertainment industry thrives on who will be the next bombshell to sell out at the box office. We see someone who reminds us of someone else. The beauty industry makes untold millions on our insecurities, me included. I am guilty of dying my hair and buying the latest skin cream to help keep me 29 for at least another 5 years. My girlfriend told me that while at our class reunion she realized that I must be the only one left in our graduating class that hasn't had a breast augmentation. Something tells me that at our 20 year reunion I will still be the only one. I am humbled to just be me, simple Tina Louise, child of God. Trying to do her best and striving to serve God in anyway he calls. I realize that won't sell a movie ticket, but that is not the audience I am going for.

Who is your audience? How do others see you? Do they see you as a child of God?
I love a simple little sign that is hanging in our church and it makes you think. It reads:

If every member of our church was just like me, what kind of a church would our church be?

I pray that God will give me the guidance, wisdom, and encouragment to do what He wills me to do, at the time He calls me to do it.


TLM