It Takes All Kinds

Each summer I go to the beach with some family. Our goal for the week is to see who can find the most shark teeth. We are somewhat competitive when it comes to our shark teeth. We sit down each night and count how many we collected during the day. We keep a running total to see who won each day and who won at the end of the week. Some of us hunt teeth almost constantly for five or six hours each day. Others of us (me), hunt in between napping, tanning, reading, and snacking. Whole teeth as well as partial teeth count when trying to win the coveted title of Shark Tooth Hunter. This year while I was hunting, I started thinking. We don’t have a winner of the biggest shark tooth even though we all love to find the bigger ones. We don’t have a winner of the most broken teeth, but we definitely collect a lot of those. We don’t have a winner for the most unique tooth either. Every tooth is different! They’re different shapes, sizes, and colors. My favorite are the tan and brown ones. Some are thin while others are wide. All the different teeth are necessary and serve a purpose.

It takes all kinds.

That made me think about how we're all different too. You hear people say, “It takes all kinds to make the world go ‘round,” and it’s so true. We aren’t weird, we’re just different. What is weird? Not normal? But who’s to say what normal is? What’s normal for you may not be normal for me.

It takes all kinds. 

I like trees. I enjoy learning new ways to identify trees and sharing that knowledge with others. I like riding down the road looking out the window and declaring that I see an Eastern Redbud because I can identify the heart-shaped leaf with smooth margins and purple flowers. Most people think that’s a little weird. Some people think it’s cool. Some people don’t want to go outside to see trees while others prefer to work outside in nature every day.

It takes all kinds. 

Sometimes I get insecure, and I compare myself to other people. I’m not as skinny or pretty, or I’m not as accomplished as someone else. But then God reminds me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and I was created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). As long as I keep God first and follow His will for my life, it doesn’t matter what other people are doing around me. It’s easy to say I shouldn’t compare myself to other people, but it’s a lot harder not to do it. In those times when I begin to question myself and where I am in my life, I need to remember that it takes all kinds.