Wow… this is so nice! Is this your real hair? How do you braid it this way? You’re not from around here, are you? Where are you from? These are some of the observations that are often made about my appearance and some of the questions I’m often asked—questions that sometimes make me feel like I do not fit in or I do not belong. 

There are many occasions when people just approach me and without my permission start to gently pull my braids. At other times, some people observe me from a distance and after a long stare they gather up the courage to approach me and ask if those long braids are my hair, then they ask if they can touch them. It used to bother me, especially when I would feel people touching or pulling my braids (without my permission), until I started to realize that those moments are opened doors that I should capitalize on, to not only answer their questions about my hair, but to plant seeds by sharing who I am, where I’m from, why I moved to their country and who I serve. This is an opportunity for me to radiate the light of Christ and share the Good News—the hope that lies within me. 

“Not belonging” and “not fitting in” are blessings in disguise, because it means that I am different, I am unique, I am unlike anybody else. When Jesus spoke to His disciples in John 15:18-25, He warned them of the persecution that was to come because they were His servants, but in verse 19 He specifically reminded them that they were not of this world, but that He had chosen them out of the world. As a follower of Jesus, I need to remember that if I stand out and I do not belong in the culture where I live and serve, it is because I am different for a purpose. 

I do not belong to this world because I have been set apart for the Lord. Ephesians 1:13 tells me that I was included in Christ when I heard the message of truth, the gospel of my salvation. When I believed, I was marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. That seal is a sign that I am consecrated to the Lord and that I belong to Him.

Whatever makes you stand out, whether it be your hair, your body shape, your height, the color of your skin, the pitch of your voice … whatever it is, do not let it prevent you from radiating the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in your life. You were created on purpose, in His image, to be unique for a purpose that God will reveal to you as you open up your spirit to Him to hear what He has to say. Do not shy away or rob the world of the beautiful gift of who you are. You belong to God – honor Him with your life and do not dim your light, but radiate it so that He may be glorified through you.