Diversity

 I am thinking about the diversity I see in God's created beings. Especially his greatest creation, his image bearers. I look at the trees in the forest, and each one is unique. There are cedars, alders, maples, pine, hemlock, cascara, mimosa, dogwoods, apple, plum, pear and so on. But even in each species, like the cedar, no two are identical. This one has a top split into two, or that one has a broken branch halfway up, no other cedar has one exactly the same. Millions of them, but no two alike. I look at the uniqueness of God's image bearers, the eyes are spaced differently, the nose is different, the ears are different, the mouth is different. Different shaped heads yet specific patterns immerge. I come from a family of 4 brothers and 4 sisters. We have a family resemblance to one another yet some look more like Dad's features, and others more like Mom's features, yet no two are identical. My two youngest sisters have a dad shaped head, yet one has blond hair and blue eyes like our grandfather on Mom's side, the other brown hair like dad's side and brown eyes. I remember my Uncle Joe as he aged, he reminded me more and more of Grandfather Hauff. Is it any wonder that this God of creativity does not make us to talk and think exactly the same? I look at the body of Christ with so much diversity, is it no wonder that there are so many denominations just within the body of Christ, yet we all believe in the virgin birth and a Second coming of our Savior. Should we expect them to think exactly alike? I visited 12 different churches in Verona a few years ago and it was like each had its own personality. They all believe that Jesus died for our sins. I picked a church 10 years ago to belong to and at first, I thought how I will ever find one to replace the one I left in Tacoma. But 10 years later, I think I actually hit the jackpot. I didn't know the people all that well in the beginning but today I think it surpasses what I left. How could I be so blessed? There is a diversity in God's creation that simply amazes me. Male and female, he created them and yet so diverse. The sound of our voices so diverse we can tell each other apart by the sound of our voice. Some can sing beautifully, and others can't carry a tune. Then we have Willy Nelson, Johnny Cash, John Denver, and Elvis Presley. Some have a southern accent and others that North Dakota accent like we heard in the Movie "Fargo". Down here you hear the word bypass and on the west coast it was the freeway. In LA it was the 5, the 405, and the 605. There is so much diversity even in thought, yet all are image bearers of our creator. I have made financial decisions, some good, some bad, I suffered for the bad and was blessed by the good. I also decided to follow Jesus, some chose a different path. It is their choice. But I believe there are eternal rewards for following God. I also believe there is a different eternal destination for those who reject Jesus. It is a choice we make. So many choices in life, the autos we drive, the homes we live in, the neighborhoods we choose to live in. But the Bible tells us there is one way to God through Jesus Christ. There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 (NLT). We cannot change our looks that much (aside from plastic surgery) sun tans, long hair, short hair, and even today there are choices like green or red or blue hair, but can we change the shape of our mouth, or the distance between our eyes? There are gray areas in the Bible, but some black and white, is it any wonder there is so much diversity in thought? With all this diversity there is still just one way to God. God bless, LVZ.