one thing being on the road will show you is that everyone, even the children in the same family with the same mother and father, are unique.  Seems pretty obvious but the reality is that in our hearts we would really prefer people to be uniformed as long as they are uniformed to who we are.  Each of our children have responded to our trip, our transitions and each moment of each day in their own unique way.  Sometimes it is beautiful and at other times it is completely frustrating.  

But they are individuals, created by God to glorify Him and enjoy Him.  He designed them.  He knows them better than I do.  He holds who they are in His hands.  They are special and created for a purpose. I am excited to see what that is beyond how God works through them to help make me more Christ-like.  

It can be said that God’s purposes don’t need our uniqueness.  Some even say that God doesn’t need us to bring about What He wants to accomplish.  Paul may have a different opinion.  Ephesians 2:10 tells us that, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”  God created us for something specific and that thing must be tied into a His plan.

I think we say that God doesn’t need us because we recognize our hearts.  Instead of being humbled by being uniquely made by God we move to pride in our uniqueness and not grateful pride but arrogant, “everyone should be so lucky to be like me” pride.  There is a difference.  So, in order to protect ourselves from this heart corruption we tell ourselves that God really doesn’t need us.  

We have a tendency to believe that we are indespinsible.  The truth is we are dispensible. Things could take place without us.  The party could go on without us showing up.  But we are not replaceable.  We are uniquely created and gifted by God to accomplish the purposes He has set out for us in order for us to bring Him Glory and enjoy Him forever.  

We are not indespinsible but we are irreplaceable.