Once upon a time there a flower named Cauli!
Cauli was a plain, simple, white flower that most people did not pay attention to. Cauli lived amongst a variety of other veggies, but although Cauli was very healthy and beneficial to one's body, Cauli usually got over looked. If there was a veggie tray, Cauli only got taken after all the other veggies were taken and even then, only by those that were really hungry. If there was a mixed medley veggie on people's plates, Cauli usually got picked out and scooted to the side while all the other veggies got eaten. At the grocery store, Cauli neary always got over looked by it's popular friend sitting next to it, Broc...everyone just loved that Broccoli fellow over Cauli and Cauli could never understand why. Broc had a stronger taste and let out a foul smell when cooked, unlike Cauli.
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However, Cauli just kept being Cauli! Cauli didn't try lifting weights, changing it's color or do anything to get people to like it, it just kept being Cauli. Cauli knew it's value was not dependent on what others thought of it, but on it's creator who made it. Cauli was full of fiber, magnesium, potassium and vitamins, even cancer-preventing ones, that were good for you. Cauli was low in calories and sugar, yet still had protein to strengthen and fill you. Cauli was awesome and didn't really matter if the whole world saw it or not, Cauli would just keep being CAULI!!!
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Then one day, without trying, people suddenly began to notice Cauli! Cauli was being used so rapidly should hardly even knew what to do! Cauli was being used to help people lose weight. Cauli was made into rice, Cauli was mashed like taters, Cauli was made into pizza crust, Cauli this and Cauli that! Cauli here and Cauli there...FINALLY everyone noticed Cauli...Finally everyone saw Cauli's value, buuuuuuuut there was nothing different about Cauli! Cauli was still, JUST CAULI!!!!
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Cauli determined that no matter how popular, well known and well liked it got, it still had the same value as it did when no one wanted it and Cauli also determined that when some other vegetable replaced it and became the newest popular healthy rave, Cauli wasn't going to let it get it down, it's value was still the same, if the whole world loved it, if only a few people loved it, or if ONLY GOD, it's creator loved it, no matter what, Cauli's value was still the same. The value of Cauli was NOT dependent on those around it, but on the one that created it!!!
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THE END!!!
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You guys, I know this may seem like a silly story, buuuuuuuut I wanna tell you all something, sometimes you just may know how it feels to be CAULIFLOWER!!! Maybe you feel like a lump of cold cauliflower on somebody's plate. The leftover that no body even bothers to put in the fridge with the rest of the leftovers. Buuuuuuut can I tell you something, YOU HAVE VALUE!!! YOU HAVE PURPOSE!!! Nobody else may notice or see you, BUUUUUUUT GOD DOES!!! Annnnnnd you just keep on being YOU!!! The best YOU, you can possibly be! Don't make yourself into something your not to try and get noticed and liked, just be YOU!!!
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You know, growing up, I was that lump of cauliflower!!! I was timid! I was quiet! I was shy! I lived happily in my own little imaginative world with my stuffed animals, baby dolls and Barbies. I usually sat alone at lunch and often played alone on the playground at school. I had my few friends at church but never got noticed much when we went other places, churches or conferences. I was timid, quiet and shy.
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BUUUUUT, I still new I had value. My mom ingrained in me that I was special, BECAUSE JESUS LOVED ME! My mom taught me ALWAYS to live my life to be pleasing to God, NOT man!!!
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As I got older in life, all of the sudden I was like the newest vegetable on the block!!! I was fun and happy, I could tell the best stories and make everyone laugh! Everyone wanted to be my friend! (Minus a few haters!;) Buuuuuuuuut can I tell you all something???
I was still JUST MARY!!!
The Mary that no one had noticed…
I'm still just ME!!!
I have the same value now that I had when no one looked my way… I’m JUST ME!!!
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Sometimes, I'm quiet, sometimes I'm loud. Sometimes I make everyone laugh, sometimes I just sit back and watch. Sometimes I'm witty and occasionally I'm wise! Sometimes I'm thoughtful, sometimes I lose all my thoughts. And most of the time, I'm still living happily in my own little world. You can like me, you can dislike me! You can take me or leave me, I don't even care...I mean, I care, buuuuuut I really don't care!!!! My value is NOT dependent on being well known, or well liked, my value comes from God, my creator!!!
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You guys, it's nice to be liked, buuuuuuut it's more important to be Godly!!! Popularity is fleeting, everyone will love you till they find someone else. BUUUUUUT your God-given value is the same no matter what. Your value from God is not dependent on people or circumstances, it is not fleeting and it is not passing. Stop putting so much value on what people think of you, what is what GOD THINKS OF YOU!
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The truth is that a person that lives their life striving to be pleasing to God, is usually pretty well liked. I mean think about it, if you live to please God, you’re going to have a pretty strong character, you will do what’s right with kindness and speak the truth in love.
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So you guys, like the cauliflower, know your value, stay the same, be pleasing to your creator and know that your God sees you, whether the whole world does or does not. As my mom would always tell me, "Mary, you can't please ALL the people, ALL the time, so LIVE TO PLEASE GOD, NOT MAN!!!
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"When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." (Proverbs 16:7)
