A common question people ask when they learn that I’m a writer is, “What do you write?” Their faces often show surprise when I answer, “Novels, short stories, children’s books, worship resources, blogs, and a newspaper column.” I usually smile and add, “My pen likes variety.”
When I look out at God’s spectacular world, one of its great mysteries is that no two trees, animals, people, or even rocks are the same. God clearly loves variety. It’s that very variety that makes the world so breathtaking—and it is good.
Still, as human beings, most of us want to fit in, to be the same as everyone else. It takes courage to be different. We all know what happens when we’re judged as different—and it’s rarely pleasant. My children’s book Rajah Finds His Wisdom explores that reality. Most of the time, we call it bullying. Some try to disguise bullying as teasing, but it isn’t the same.
In my story, Rajah, an elephant from Africa, is bullied because he’s different. When he’s young and vulnerable, all the other Asian elephants in the herd ignore him and refuse to play with him. The illustrator captures Rajah’s feelings beautifully—big tears roll down his cheeks while his only friend, a small African bird, holds out a tissue for him.
As Rajah grows older, his pain turns into anger, and he becomes a bully himself. He uses his larger size and longer trunk to push the others around and snatch the best fruit from the trees. Yet even as the bully, he still has no friends. Eventually, Rajah learns that his size and differences can be used not to harm but to help. In time, he discovers that what once set him apart can become his greatest gift.
We don’t have to be the same. In fact, we are created to be unique. Each of us is given gifts for a purpose—to bring kindness and love into the world. When we begin to see our differences as blessings rather than burdens, life opens up in beautiful and surprising ways.
Today, take a moment to reflect on what makes you special. What unique gifts has God given you? How might you use them wisely—to become a source of love and kindness in this world?
