Celebrate Spamersity

This year I got to experience some truly unique Minnesotan things at the State Fair. The Sausage Sisters (keep it clean) were back with a Norwegian type of sausage that included lefse, if I remember right. I did like their Puff Daddy and Thai One On from previous years more though.

I was entertained by the Spamettes singing several songs about Spam. The Spam Curds were pretty good too.

People love to make fun of Spam - as millions of cans are sold each year. Many people doing the teasing haven't even tasted this variation of ham.

Besides the humor and musical talent, one of the things I enjoyed about hearing the Spamettes was that they sang with joy and pride - even as the product is perennially misunderstood and ridiculed.

So it's just a can of ham... But what about us? Many of us have been misunderstood, teased, and ridiculed. It can really hurt. Our life experiences have a big influence in how we can handle these situations. Do the opinions of others accurately describe, and perhaps determine, our identity? From where or from whom does our identity come?

What is our view of ourselves? Often it is very similar to the way we think God views us. How do you think God views you?

He is firm and righteous, yes, but also patient and merciful. He loves us with a passion and wants what is best for us, which may include saying "No" or "Not yet". And most of all he wants a loving, intimate relationship with him where we are partners with him in his mission.

Once we are in a right relationship with God, the Holy Spirit helps us not only have a right view of God, but also a right view of ourselves - who we are and who we can be. The words of others still matter a little bit. And they can still hurt some. But there is both power and peace when we can ignore the opinions of others and focus on how God sees us. That is whose opinion matters.

Be who you are. Nobody else can do it better. Whether you feel you are somewhat average or feel very special, be assured you were created for a special role in God's plans that only you can fill. If you are a rather unique creation coming out of Southern Minnesota or some other place, celebrate your uniqueness. Celebrate diversity. Celebrate Spamersity!