When I was growing up, particularly in my teens and twenties I used to think that I was born in the wrong year.  I seemed to fit so much better into the Bohemian, Peace-loving era of the 60’s.  These years seemed the heyday where I would have found acceptance; a place; a natural fit.  But instead I was born in 1974.  I look only somewhat like my family of origin, and when I was a toddler my sitter used to let me run around naked in the backyard, and I just soak up the sun, so I became extremely dark.  I don’t mean just tan- I was so dark that apparently someone once asked my mom if I was a adopted!  As I got older my lack of feeling like I fit in increased and became less about a different appearance as I felt misunderstood and perplexed by the goals and beliefs of the world around me.  I surrounded myself with friends of all types, and while it seems to me now that I was popular back then, I never felt myself to be.  I always felt a bit off.

Today when I began to write what came to me was this Bible story I have always loved.  It is the story of Esther, an unknown village girl who through a series of unlikely events, became the queen and later saved her people.  I actually loved the story of Esther so much that I even dressed up like her for the costume contest at my Christian school.  (We had to be Bible characters…It was an alternative to Halloween.)  There is a line in the story of Esther where she is fearful and doubting her place in this kingdom; her ability to make a difference, and her Uncle Mordecai, who is the only one who knows the truth of her heritage, says to her, “Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for such a time as this.” -Esther 4:14 The Message Bible.   This line rings to me so many times.  And today it is ringing clear again.

Even though there have been many times that I have questioned my place here, been confused about how I think so differently than the people around me, frustrated by the things I see, and fearful of being ostracized if I speak the words of Truth in my heart; every time I feel that lack of confidence I receive some message that I am made for this time.  I am made for this time, not another bygone time, not a time that isn’t here yet.  I am made for Now!  I have exactly the skills, talents, strengths, and even weaknesses and painful experiences for this time.  I was put here for a purpose, and today I am reminded to just be me.  Being here as me in this time is all I have to do.

I am an integral part of this Universal Divine plan, but I am only one part.  You are another part, and your friend another, our “enemies” another, people from faraway lands with ways of being that we don’t know or understand- another, our leaders another, our members of society that we cast aside- another piece in this puzzle.  There is not a single soul who isn’t made to be here Now.  We all are.  And we are all necessary because we bring different things to the table.  We are all unique, yet we are all One.  This is the beautiful dichotomy of life.  We are all important, yet as we let go of our ego importance we come together in a way that we are One in Love.

So come to the table today with just You.  You are made for this time.  You are made for this moment.  You are made for this Now- exactly as you are, with all the parts and pieces of you.  You are meant to be You.

I will finish this call to Be with this bit of truth from Shel Silverstein; “Listen to the mustn’ts, child.  Listen to the don’ts.  Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts.  Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child.  Anything can be.”

Peace, Love and Perfectly Imperfect Pumpkins to you today…

Victoria