On Sunday, one of my African friends came over to hang out. We had a great time sharing a meal, talking about food, clothes, shopping, church, work, and family. Then, we played games with Lydia. Our usual.
My friend complimented me on a new houseplant. I laughed and told her it was fake. These days, I don’t have much time to devote to real houseplants, though I do enjoy them!
She then told me that some of her houseplants found homes with other friends because she always kills them. Apparently, her other friends were quick to tell her she doesn’t have a green thumb. How ironic other cultures have similar nuances!
My friend often gives me updates about her other international friends. For example, one of her Middle Eastern friends had twin boys earlier this year. I have not met the babies since the family moved out of state recently.
So, on Sunday, we watched a video of the mother talking to her seven-month-old boys. They were so cute, and I could really see their personalities coming through.
It was fun listening to the mother’s language, and it made me happy the boys will grow up knowing her language first and English second. It is good they will learn about her culture and their heritage, as well.
To my surprise, I could understand the gist of what the mother was saying. Well more or less! I could not understand her exact words, of course, but I could understand her tone of voice. Every mother I know says the same things to her precious baby!
It seems she was saying how big and how strong and cute they were. One of the twins was moving his arms and legs like a choo-choo train and she mimicked those sounds.
It happens all over the world. You probably know exactly what I am talking about!
Years ago, when I was pregnant with Lydia, some people visiting from Singapore were trying to guess my baby’s gender. They had a whole set of old wives tales they were relying on to make their decision! The same ideas exist in other cultures, too!
Even further back, I once traveled to Sweden to visit some friends and still remember with exact enunciation the phrases, “Kan du klappa? Kan du vinka?” which means “Can you clap? Can you wave?” There was a baby boy and his family kept excitedly asking him to show me.
As I sat and talked with my friend on Sunday, I was reminded that our similarities outweigh our differences. We have very different hair, skin, cultures, backgrounds, and preferences, but we both love Jesus. And, God brought both of us to North Dakota!
Over the years, we have both helped each other problem solve. We have learned a ton from each other and are better off for it. In the end, we are really not so different.
There is so much going on in our world right now. I hope each of us can remember to set aside our preferences and enjoy each person for who they are. We can celebrate our differences and rejoice in our similarities. It really doesn’t matter, just treat each other well.
Each person you see is loved by God. Each person represents a part of His character and creativity. Think about that for a minute. All of that diversity within each of us shows you just how vast God is. We cannot put Him in a box or contain Him!
We need each person’s contribution; none of us is better than the other. If you sit down and share food and conversation, perhaps you’ll learn just how much you have in common! Everyone feels the need to belong. For those of us who know Jesus, we are family.
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God, thank You for creating so many different kinds of people. It shows us how wonderful You are, to think up so many special characteristics. Help us love each other well. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Question: Which do you typically notice first, someone’s differences or similarities to you?
Tasks: As you go about your week, see if you can notice any similarities across cultures. We all laugh, enjoy selfies, like to celebrate, tell jokes, eat fruit, kiss our babies, value hard work, have bad days, become sad, etc. In the end, we are not so different!
