So, how many of you went to “HowManyOfMe.com” after reading yesterday’s blog?  My husband Ted reads my blogs, but many times he doesn’t get to them until a day or two after I write them.  He was driving to Indiana today when he called me.  Apparently, he had made a stop on his drive and had checked his email, including reading my blog from yesterday.  Because he was back on the road driving, he wanted me to check on his name at the website.  He told me he wanted to be unique.  He was hoping he was the only one with his name.  (“Oh you are the only one like you, Theodore,” I said to myself.  “There can’t be another one” I mused.)

Here’s what I found out.  There are 193,948 people in the U.S. with the first name of ‘Theodore’ and less than 117 with the last name ‘Greshel.’  Compared to there being only 37,843 ‘Laurel’s’ I could win this one and say that I was more unique then Ted.  But our combined first and last name brought up the same result – there is only one of each of us!  For comparison, if you were a John Smith, you share your name with 45,559 other people!

Who doesn’t want to be unique?  I looked the word up and found that “unique” is a French word from the Latin unicus, from unus:  one.  Hmm.  I see a unicorn there.  Synonymous with the word “unique” is:  sole, unequaled, peculiar, unusual, patented, and individual.  I think I know a lot of unique people.

I did not find the word ‘unique’ in the bible, but found one passage with its synonym ‘unequaled’:

Deuteronomy 34:10-12 ¹⁰ Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. ¹¹ He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, ¹² and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Yep, Moses was one unique guy!

I believe that there really are no two people alike.  Oh you may have a twin out there in the world somewhere or you very likely share a same name with someone.  You may have someone you like and admire and strive to be like.  Here’s what Walt Disney said about being unique:  “The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.”

I think my point here is that we are all unique and wonderful.  Why would God make us all so different if he wanted us to be the same?  If you’ve been reading my blogs for a time, you may know how much I love Beth Moore Ministries and the wonderful writing that she does.  I want to be like Beth Moore!  But in one of her studies she wrote:  “Trust God!  He is busy making you someone no one else has ever been.”  I wrote that down on an index card and use it as a book mark.

It’s the similarities we share with each other that help us form a common bond and establish friendships due to mutual interests.  It is the differences that keep things colorful and exciting as we embrace each and everyone’s uniqueness.  Do you remember Fred Rogers from the Mr. Rogers children’s show?  I think he said it best all the time:  “I like you just the way you are!”

You are you-nique!

Just Laurel