Matthew 6:25-34

I was popular once! Everyone should have the chance to be POPular – liked, admired and enjoyed by many – at least once in a lifetime.

My moment came my senior year in high school. I started at a brand new school in a new town with all new people. I was the “new girl”!

Most kids would be traumatized to start a new school. I felt I’d been given an incredible gift from God – an adventure!

My life was swept clean. I had a fresh start.

Not that I had anything to run from. I didn’t have a sordid past. I was only 17 years old. I simply had the chance to be seen through new eyes that weren’t clouded by awkward past moments, my five older siblings or any other hand-me-down.

I wasn’t the baby sister of four older brothers.

I’d been given my own personal space. My own identity. I didn’t need to fight for food, clothes, the shower, our parents’ attention or my own voice.

I was whoever I wanted to be. I could be different or finally be me.

I got a job and bought lots of new clothes at Bloomingdale’s. I was ready. I didn’t expect to be popular or even set out to be popular. I just wanted to be me! What happened next was just as shocking to me as to anyone else.

I went to school and people noticed me! My first day, I was asked to sit with the cheerleaders, football players and other ‘populars’.

I admit I wasn’t popular but I was part of the ‘in’ crowd. I felt popular. They even assigned me an available ‘in’ guy.

Too bad we didn’t hit it off! The boy not the group.

I’m sure my ratings would go up with the least, lost and left out if I had a glass shattering tale of the shallowness of ‘populars’ but I didn’t find them much different than most other high school kids.

They all had their talents and skills. They were creative and had self-expression. They weren’t cookie cutter copies of billboard models. They had emotions, thoughts and flaws.

They just did stuff or looked in a way that brought attention. I don’t recall them being cruel or mean to anyone, just a bit unaware of most everyone else.

Their lack of concern seemed balanced by others over concern for what they thought, wore or did.

My popular moment was fleeting. We remained cordial friends but I drifted away for lack of common ground. They were much more fast paced, had a history together and interests I didn’t share.

I met different friends, left the larger, more popular group for a smaller group of folks who had similar interests, made me laugh and seemed to understand my sense of humor.

My day in the spotlight didn’t cure me. I’ll always be tempted by the popular vote, would LOVE to be Freshly Pressed, am very envious of popular bloggers and crave readership (likes, comments, shares, nominations and awards).

The popular blogs are creative, unique and self-expressive. That’s why they attract attention and there is always hope I’ll be one – some day!

I’m not sure when but…I am still the new girl in town!

I like being unique. I’m comfortable being different. I love having my own personal space and appreciate my intimate group of readers! Maybe I’ll never be blogular but I am having fun being me!

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

Do Not Worry

²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. .. ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

²⁸“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry…about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.