In the beginning of 2014 I was blessed to participate in an online writing group where Michelle was one of the leaders; this allowed me to observe her wit and humor from a perspective of “tell me more.”
Later that spring, I joined the Spiritual Misfit launch team. The only problem, however, was that I joined late, so I was unable to receive a complimentary copy of the book. But where there is a will there is a way!
Not long after, I was checking my Facebook timeline and emails on my cell phone (which is not one of those fancy iPhones), and suddenly yelled out to my mother, “I won Spiritual Misfit! I’m in!” as my brother and nieces always say.
Thank You, Jesus!
When I opened the package a few days later, I discovered that Kimberly, the blogger who had hosted the giveaway, had specially wrapped the book and included a handwritten personalized note: “From one Spiritual Misfit to another. Thanks for entering the giveaway. Happy Reading! All the best, Kimberly.”
I decided not just to keep this gift to myself but to read it out loud to my mother. We are opposites – she is very outspoken and and I am an introvert.
Together we laughed till our sides hurt and cried with Michelle’s frustrations and doubts…which brings me to my own tale of misfittedness, which begins just before my third birthday.
We had moved from Michigan to California. I can still remember my mother’s announcement like it was yesterday: we were expecting a new addition to our family in the not-so-distant future. As much as my two-and-a-half-year-old young mind could comprehend the situation, I knew I was not happy. I understood that my little world, which up to that point had been all mine, would soon be shared with a sibling.
Couldn’t I have just gotten a puppy or something?
I was coached and prepared to become the older sister — a process which included a photography session for a special Father’s Day photo, a gift for my dad. Dressed in a pink Swiss polka-dot party dress with matching bottoms, I was permitted to hold my favorite teddy bear in the photo. Teddy and I smiled and poised for the camera. Later, however, my misfittedness was obvious to all who saw the photograph. The picture, with Teddy’s leg caught in a ruffle, revealed I was wearing an unmatching pair of pants beneath the polka-dot dress. I finally admitted I had changed into the yellow bottoms without mom knowing after I’d wet the matching pink polka-dot pair.
Of course this is just one small story in a lifetime as a misfit on a journey of life and grace.
As I read and reread the many reviews, blog posts and comments from the Spiritual Misfit launch team, I am truly amazed at how many people find a true and sincere connection, a personal relationship, if you will, to Misfittedness.
The truth is, we are all spiritual misfits, and I am one of Christ’s misfits as well.
Click here
Yes, we are all misfits when we stop to admit it. Loved your reflection here, Marie. Blessings!
Thank You Martha Orlando for Your comment I am touched you loved the post and were able to relate to our mutual misfittedness.
Blessings!
Oh my! I thought I was the only person who like a misfit!
Shauna I have to admit you are not the only one.
Thank You for your comment!
Blessings!
How sweet to see your words here, to hear your heart. And I hope you ended up enjoying the sibling much more than a puppy. 🙂 (Such an adorable photo, Marie.)
Dearest Jo Ann,
Thank You for your comment!
My dear brothers always challenges me beyond what my imagination can comprehend even as they did before they were born and I have many experiences with them that could probably fill a book.
But your sharing of your voice has lead me to believe I might also have a voice of my very own to share!?
Blessings to you and yours Dear Sister in Christ!
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! (Psalms 139:14-18 NLT)
God made us just the way he wanted. He knew us from the very beginning. It’s a little to easy to offer that. This was a great post! I’m proud to be a spiritual misfit!
Precious words of Scripture Dear Sister in Christ Lovelle,
Thank You for taking time to comment.
Blessings!
Marie,
How wonderful to see you over here on Michelle’s blog. There’s a whole lot of us who feel “misfitty,” so welcome to the club, friend. You are dearly loved, just as you are. Grateful for you, Marie.
Dearest Jennifer,
Thank You for the lovely comment you continue to inspire me often with your message that I/ we are enough and already approved may I find that I am able to be an inspiration to others as well!
Blessings to You and Yours!
Marie,
How wonderful and sweet. Love your writing and seeing your heart poured out on paper (so to speak). Keep writing.
Dear Karen,
Thank You for your Fabulous comment Your words are truly making my Spirit soar and my soul sing!
Love, hugs and Blessings to you Dear Sister in Christ!
Marie, thank you for taking the time to write about this topic! There have been so many days lately where I feel like nothing more than a spiritual misfit. This touched me today!
Sweet Kaelynn,
Your comment is the answer to so many of my most heart felt prayers!
I am so Blessed that the light of my Lord Touched Your day!
Blessings to You and Yours!
We are ALL part of the “misfit club” in one way or another ~ we just don’t all have photographs to prove it! 🙂 Loved your story, thanks for sharing!
Thank You Caryn!
I am delighted with your fun sense of humor! Thank You!
Yes it is true takes someone such as myself to wear the pants of humility. I have heard my mother repeat this to me so often the Lord told me just share it.
Love, hugs and Blessings!
oh my friend Marie, I often forget how all of us are misfits, and often think I stand out in my awkwardness. Im so grateful to have friends like you to stand with in this world, that we can hold each other up in our faith. thank you for sharing. <3-t
Teresa Love You friend,
Please know you have a friend that understands to well feeling awkward (and that darn bear had me in trouble before I even had a brother.
Thank You for taking time to comment, one can never have too many sisters that are misfitty!
Hugs!
So glad to be on the journey with you, Marie:) What a lovely idea to read the book with your mother!
Dear Kimberly,
I have been so Blessed to meet you on this journey!
Thank You for taking the time to comment and the opportunity to win on your blog!
Blessings to You and Yours!
Oh Marie…when I was young I thought I was the only misfit or as I have used “oddball.” So glad to know that God doesn’t look the other way but invites us odd ones in to the family with all the others! Thank you for your sweet story! And many blessings as you carry on for Him!
Dear Kimberly,
Thank You for taking the time to leave a kind and honest comment.
To many times my friend have I found myself feeling like the odd ball in my life. So sweet sister the Good News is Jesus loves us misfits just as we are.
Love, Hugs and Blessings Kimberly
No matter how much each of us try to be perfect, we always find the ways in which in no way are we even close. Each of us has some, for lack of a real word, misfittedness in us. Thank you so much for your words, Marie and thank you so much for the reminder that God is the only perfection that we will encounter in this world, and when we fail to reach the unreachable goal of perfection, His grace is enough!
Dear Kimberly,
Thank You for taking the time to leave a kind and honest comment.
To many times my friend have I found myself feeling like the odd ball in my life. So sweet sister the Good News is Jesus loves us misfits just as we are.
Love, Hugs and Blessings Kimberly
Faith,
It seems I have had the obsession of perfectionism for to many years. But as I look back I realize how much frustration and anxiety I have caused myself by trying to live up to expectations that were human and not divine. His Grace is enough! Alleluia! Amen.
Your story made me think of my childhood. I was an only girl with five older brothers. I was quiet and shy and, of course, felt like the misfit. I have realized as an adult that being a misfit isn’t so bad. It’s a gift and I have embraced it, or I have grown into it. Either way, it’s okay!!! Thank you, Marie, for this wonderful story.
Oh Janice,
I feel for you I know how challenged I was only having two brothers, I was obviously the oldest. I prayed so hard for a sister before my second brother was born, I wrote about that in a witness for a retreat.
Yes, as Michelle says in her book Jesus loves His Beloved misfits, I am so happy you enjoyed the post. Thank You for your comment Blessings to you Janice!
Such a sweet story Marie and one many of us can relate to. Of being exposed and not sure what to do about it. And perhaps we “feel” like misfits but we are really just uncomfortable with what the world expects from us.
Yes Shelly,
Exactly my “feeling” was being exposed and not sure about it, particularly finding myself after all these years still being uncomfortable with the world’s expectations.
That is why I cling to the words of Scripture “we are in the world but not of the world.”
Thank You Shelly for taking time out of your busy moving schedule to leave a comment Blessings to You and Yours!
Marie – I appreciated reading your post. Most often we feel alone in our sense of being a “misfit”.
Yet, when called upon to ponder where that feeling began, it often goes back to an event when we were young and can progress from there.
From you adult perspective you now see ( I hope ) a darling moment caught in time as you posed with your teddy bear.
Gratefully, in our adult years now – we know we fit anywhere when God is directing our steps because we have been chosen by Him. What better a “fit” could there be??
Blessings — Lynn
Blessings to you Dear Lynn,
As I have left in reply’s to comments before this one I have listened to my mother tell me this particular misfittedness of mine often as we have a photo of me with my pants of humility. As an adult I am able to smile and realize Jesus loves me even in my humility which I continue to deal with almost every day.
I am still looking to Him to direct me now as much as I remember doing as that small child.
Thank You for your Beautiful comment.
Love and Hugs!
Marie, I really enjoyed your story. I love the little girl with the teddy bear, even with the mismatched pants. She doesn’t seem to care, she looks happy. Lol. I know what it feels like to loose you center stage at that age over a sibling. I have a sister two years younger. : ) I am also what you call a “misfit” (it takes one to know one). However, our heavenly Father prefers we call each other “unique”. God bless you.
Ileana Thank You!
For sharing your enjoyment of my misfitted post, and how you have a sibling two years younger as well. It truly does take one to know one.
And reminding me of our Heavenly Father’s titles I Love being “unique” as well.
Hugs and Blessings to you also Dear Ileana!!!
We may have been spiritual misfits, but now we are stones perfectly placed in the Rock who Is Christ. Each of us has a special place and function, each one covered by the Blood. We are the redeemed, set free, beloved of the Lord. So glad you have found your place in Him Marie.
Blessings my friend Jeannie,
How Beautiful are your thoughts in this comment: stones perfectly placed, with a special place and function covered in Christ’s Blood. You have Blessed me.
How wonderful to read another ‘Misfit” story….I am finding them so encouraging as we are discovering how alike we all are….we are all different and that is how we are alike.
Old photos bring up all kinds of memories ! At the time you would never have thought that half a lifetime later we would all see your unmatching knickers…..and I expect most of us reacted with a ” there but for the grace of God go I ” thought….while appreciating your childhood beauty.
Like you, i was coached and prepared to be the older sister…and in fact a heavy load was placed on our young shoulders….an ill-fitting yoke so different from the one Jesus would have us wear !
We are indeed, all misfits……thank goodness !!
Dear Mary,
You are precious to me and I Love your comment yes.
Yes this old photo in my mismatching knickers has brought the Grace of our great God to my present day fifty some years later. And how true are your it has been a heavy load on my shoulders Thank You Lord Jesus for your gentle yoke. We are all Christ’s Beloved Misfit’s!
Blessings of our precious Lord!
Wonderful story Marie, I smiled through the entire story! How wonderful of you to share these memories with all of us online. And wonderful of you to share the book with your Mother. Keep on being a misfit and writing terrific stories!
Dearest Mary,
I am so happy that someone from our retreats was able to stop and leave a comment.
It makes me smile and my heart sing that you enjoyed my post.
I am especially grateful for those such as yourself who are encouraging me to keep writing!
Blessings to You from our Lord Jesus!
Dearest Mary,
I am so happy that someone from our retreats was able to stop and leave a comment.
It makes me smile and my heart sing that you enjoyed my post.
I am especially grateful for those such as yourself who are encouraging me to keep writing!
Blessings to You from our Lord Jesus!
Dearest Michelle DeRusha,
Thank You for the privilege of guest posting on your blog.
May the Grace of our God be with you and yours always!
Love, Peace, Joy and Hugs!
Your fellow Misfit sister in Christ.
What a cute photo of you in a party dress holding your teddy bear! I so identify with this post because I have always thought of myself as a misfit. I don’t really fit here or there. I’m often on the outside looking in because I don’t follow the herd. I march to the beat of my own drum. I walk a different path than many I know. At times, it’s a bit solitary. I’m often by myself, but I am really not alone because God is always with me and by my side. He made me as I am, so therefore I am not a misfit to him.
Lovely post. Enjoyed reading it
Love your story of misfittedness Marie. The picture is perfectly adorable!
God bless you
Love how the picture and your story depicts your feelings of misfittedness. Here I thought I was the only one who felt like a misfit. I’m going to have to purchase this book!
I love ❤️ this devotional. It is good. Thank you for sharing with us.
Sweet post!
I definitely relate to being a misfit. I also wonder if my older sisters felt the same way when I was born, wanting a puppy (or in their case a kitty) instead, LOL!
We are all a work in progress. I am thankful God never gives up on us.
I am a misfit also. never felt I ever really fit in anywhere. But i do know I fit into God’s plan. God is so good. Loved the blog post. I am praying for my birthday a healing. They tell me there is nothing can help but I know God can.
Blessings
Diana Lynn
Marie! I love your story. I remember what it felt like to have a younger sibling arrive… Your little two year old world momentarily falls apart! Very humorous how you expressed yourself with the yellow pants under your beautiful pink dress! I wore dotted Swiss dresses when I a toddler too… I loved dotted Swiss. You don’t see that divine fabric today. We are all misfits, and when we commit to Christ, I think others see us as such misfits, but thanks be to God… We are totally accepted through the righteousness of Christ.