Paragraph 2, by Emmet Fox:

Whoever you are, God has not made you without a definite purpose in view.  The Universe is a universe; that is, it is a unified harmony, a Divine Scheme.  There can, therefore, be no such thing as a misfit, or an unwanted or unneeded piece.  It could not happen that God could create a spiritual entity such as you are, without having a special purpose in view, and this means that there is a special and particular place in it for you.  God never repeats Himself, and so He has never made two people alike, and it is for this reason that no two people could ever do quite the same work, or express themselves in quite the same way.  That is why, rightly understood, there really need be no competition.  There need be no such thing as, say, two thousand people struggling for the same place in life.  Whatever the place may be, there can only be one person who can fill it perfectly; and there are one thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine other places somewhere waiting for the other people if only they will find them.

Commentary, Questions, Exercises by Joseph Anthony

This paragraph brings me a lot of comfort.  I used to feel like a misfit so I would go around trying desperately to gain acceptance.  But no matter what I did, how I changed to meet your expectations, I always felt alone—like I didn’t fit in—a misfit.  Luckily that changed when I truly accepted that I was a child of God. 

I also appreciate Emmet’s mention of not needing to compete.  If you take what I just confessed and translate it into daily, social situations, I was always competing, vying, conniving, and otherwise manipulating others for center stage.  And my competitive streak went even deeper (or should I say, shallower).  Since I was primarily focused on material gain back then, I would even get anxious before heading out to yard sales or garage sales, for fear I would miss buying something I absolutely needed—I didn’t know what it was—but I was missing it, and some mean old lady or eBay-junkie was going to get it! 

As I said, I am not the same person I was then.  Now I can rest easy in God’s care.  I needn’t compete for anything, let alone my heart’s desire.  Even if more than one person is doing what I want to do—it’s wonderful.  I can trust that my dream will bear fruit if I am committed and faithful.

So here are the questions and exercises for paragraph 2:

Question 1: Have you ever felt like a misfit?  If so, what have you done to remedy that feeling?

Question 2: Do you believe Mr. Fox when he says that there is a place for everyone, and that no part of the universe is unwanted? 

Question 3:  Do you feel wanted?

Question 4: What are your thoughts about competition?  Is there ever such a thing as healthy competition?

Exercise:  Reflect on and describe your reaction upon hearing that you are special, that you are wanted and valued, and that there is a place just for you, in the Grand Scheme of Things.

Remember: find a buddy and work through this process with them.  As Piglet once said: “It’s so much friendlier with two.” 

 Next Wednesday–Part 3!

Copyright Joseph Anthony of the Wonder Child Blog