The Ugly Duckling

In "The Ugly Duckling", the baby swan has a rough go of it for a while because he thinks that he should be a duck and feels ugly because he compares himself to the other ducklings. A lot of times we may compare ourselves to others and be filled with shame and self doubt and self pity because our lives seem so much uglier than theirs. We may burn with jealousy and resentment that other people seem to be doing so much better than we are. If we spend our time measuring ourselves against others we are going to be unhappy and disappointed. The world is full of not just swans and ducklings but cranes and herons and kingfishers and flamingos. Of course we may feel gangly and awkward and behind if we try comparing ourselves to others. You can make lots of arguments about why the eagle is more majestic than the nightingale, or how the nightingale sings far more lovely than the eagle, or how the duck is a better swimmer than either, or the ostrich a better runner, or the penguin more able to withstand the cold. The ugly duckling is only ugly compared to the duck. We may not be as socially active as others, we may not be as patient parents as others, we may not bear our testimony as frequently as others, we may not love as easily or serve as selflessly or be kind as often as others. But we are not ugly. God does not make ugly creatures. When we can find out who we are really supposed to be, then it doesn't matter if we look or act or believe differently than others, if we walk the covenant path at our own pace and in our own way. This is by design. We are here to fulfill the reason for our creation, which is a different reason and will be accomplished in a different way than anybody else's. We'll be so much happier when we stop trying to be something that we're not, and embrace becoming who we were always meant to be.