Last week my family went on a trip to a zoo. We’re zoo people. It’s fun for us to explore new places and see the crazy animals.

As we walked through, we stopped at the flamingo habitat. The pink diva birds stood on their spindly legs, bending graceful necks to sip from a puddle or turning to preen their gaudy feathers.

There among the flamingos I saw a brown duck. Just your average quacker. She waddled around next to one of the leggy flamingos.

You know what. That duck didn’t look self conscious. She didn’t suck in her tummy or try to seem taller. She didn’t gather all the stray pink feathers from the ground, trying to pass off as something she wasn’t.

Nope. That duck owned her duck-ness (not a word, but go with it, people).

You are who you were made to be. Me too. But there are days when I wish I was a little more like her or them. I wonder if a certain undergarment will hold my mama-tummy in better or if I could just keep my house organized like the people on Pinterest life would be easier. I work kind of hard at being something I’m not.

When I do that I’m cheating myself. I’m cheating those around me.

Because being myself is part of my purpose. God had a pretty good thing in mind when He created me.

And He had a pretty good thing in mind when He created YOU!

It’s the first week of school. It’s easy to compare ourselves to the other moms or the other kids in class or the ladies at the store when we go to bask in the loveliness that is shopping alone…

ahem.

But how about we don’t. How about we accept ourselves for the fearfully and wonderfully made folks we are. Let’s be ducks in this flamingo world. And let’s stand next to others, realizing that THEY are fearfully and wonderfully made, too.

YOU are beautiful. Just remember who defines beauty.

(Hint: It’s your Heavenly Father who looks on you with adoration because He is good and He has put His image on you).

Let’s be ducks in this flamingo world.