So, You’re Awkward? Perfect!

Many centuries ago, all the animals lived in harmony in the animal kingdom. It was a perfect world where lions and zebras trotted along side by side. This world knew neither predator nor prey because all the animals grazed on grass provided for by their caretaker.

The agreement was that the animals would be well taken care of as long as they lived peacefully amongst themselves; no viscous quarrelling or fighting. That was the deal. If this agreement was violated by one, the animal kingdom was to have a board meeting and decide how best to deal with the offender.

One of the unwritten social rules of this kingdom was that each species could only marry one of its kind. No one was to intermarry. That was tradition and everyone abided by this rule…that is, until Fred Cheetah laid eyes on Fiona Gazelle.

She was a beauty and Fred was smitten. They took long walks together and enjoyed each other’s company. Before long, they fell in love. They kept their love a secret as both were aware that their love would be frowned upon by everyone else in the kingdom.

Eventually Fred and Fiona decided that their love for each other was too strong to hide. So they let their families know that they had decided to get married. The news didn’t sit well with either family, and before long, there was an uproar in the kingdom.

With time, the Cheetah and Gazelle families decided to accept Fred and Fiona’s union. The rest of the community, however, did not come around.

A year later, Fred and Fiona had Baby Giraffe. The couple was ecstatic but couldn’t overlook the fact that Baby looked awkward!

She had features of both parents…and some of her own. She had her father’s coat and complexion, and her mother’s long legs. She also had this long neck – a trait that no one could trace – that just kept getting longer and longer as she grew! She looked different from anything any of the other animals had ever seen.

Fred was known for his speed and Fiona for her grace. Unfortunately, Baby was known for her awkwardness. She wasn’t a cheetah, neither was she a gazelle. She was a giraffe. No one understood her and the other animals constantly teased and poked fun at her.

Being made fun of was painful for Baby, but actually turned out to be the least of her struggles. As she got older, she kept getting taller and taller. Soon, she was having trouble bending down to eat. Because she was so big, she needed to eat a lot. Bending over so low to eat grass for long periods was so uncomfortable and painful. Her neck hurt so badly that she just couldn’t do it anymore.

Poor Fred and Fiona didn’t know how to help their daughter.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have married after all,” they thought.

One day during mealtime, Baby decided to go for a walk. Her neck was too sore to bend over to eat, so she decided that instead of watching everyone else enjoy their food, she would just go off and drown in her sorrows.

Tears rolled down her face. Life seemed so unfair. She hadn’t asked to be born! She hadn’t asked to be different! Why were the others so mean to her? And now, she was hungry and couldn’t even eat! She broke down and wept uncontrollably. Never had she felt so alone.

When she was all cried out, she looked around and noticed all the trees around her.

“If only grass grew on trees,” she thought.

Suddenly, a thought came to mind – what if she could eat the leaves? No one she knew ate leaves, but they were the perfect height for her! She stuck her neck out and tasted one leaf. It was…really, really good, and tasted far better than grass!

Surprised and excited, Baby reached out for another and then another. Oh my, this was a miracle – a provision just for her! None of the other animals were tall enough to reach the leaves so that meant only Baby could enjoy the goodness of the leaves.

Could it be that the reason she was so tall was so she could enjoy these leaves? The answer wasn’t important. In that moment, she felt so special.

Many of us are like Baby – at times feeling isolated because of things we cannot change. Maybe your personality isn’t always welcomed, or some physical trait or disability solicits negative attention. Maybe you’re “too loud”, “too passionate” or “too quiet”.

Maybe your temperament doesn’t blend well with the rest of your family’s. Perhaps your ideas are too far-fetched for the majority.

[ctt template=”5″ link=”7e0hx” via=”no” ]Could it be that your awkwardness is  God’s special gift to you? Learn to celebrate that which makes you different.[/ctt]

There is provision for the awkward. Examine yourself and change only what needs to be changed. Whatever your awkwardness is, treasure it because many times, hidden within that awkwardness is a gift waiting to be realized.

* This story is fiction and is written solely for the purpose of illustration.