On the Porch
Onisha Ellis
Do you ever have the feeling in your life that you never measure up? I do. I feel it when I realize I am trying to meet someone else’s expectations, their standard.
Early in my life, beginning around age six, I learned I was a failure. My attempts in first grade art were dismal. I couldn’t even color in the lines. As a teen I was socially awkward. My clothes were all wrong, my hair was too straight. I was shy. According to my older brother, I was the ugliest girl on the planet. As a teen, he told me that all his friends hated me.
As an adult, I began asking God, what do you want me to do, what is my purpose? The answer came, not in an earth shattering revelation, but in the form of an inexpensive Christmas gift, a Bible verse in a simple, inexpensive frame. My Ladies Sunday School teacher gave one to each of the women in the group, the verse chosen specifically for them. Mine was: Micah 6:8
The Message version
But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.
I actually prefer the New International Version. It is shorter and speaks directly to my heart.
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[prudently] with your God.
What joy and peace this verse brings me. I don’t have to measure up to anyone else’s talents or standards! What about you, have you experienced failures because you tried to meet someone else’s expectations?
Old Things R New 