Living Outside The Lines: “The Beat Of A Different Drum”

Maybe, just maybe, the person going against the grain is the one who has it right, and it’s the rest of us following the crowd that has it all wrong.

 By, Becky J Miller

Ever play hopscotch as a kid? There was this pesky rule that if your foot landed on a line, you were out and your turn was over. Given that fact, most hopscotch players worked hard at staying inside the lines. This was standard modus operandi for hopscotch, but in life, at least mine, not so much. I like to play outside the lines, that’s where all the fun is!

Lest anyone think I am endorsing illegal or unethical behavior, I absolutely am not. I’m talking about living a life not shaped by a cookie cutter mold, one that questions and defies accepted norms, not out of rebellion, but out of a sincere difference of opinion; a unique perspective as it were.

Most people at some point endured their mama saying, “Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t make it okay.” One cannot deny the infinite wisdom of mothers. So, if those were words to live by as a child, why do many of us seem to have forgotten them as adults?

My life does not have to look like yours; nor should I be judged based on someone else’s perception of what my life should look like. Maybe, just maybe, the person going against the grain is the one who has it right, and it’s the rest of us following the crowd that has it all wrong.

Driving the wrong way down a one-way street obviously is a norm that should not be defied, unless one has a death wish, but what is wrong with challenging things for which there are no clear constraints?

Let me give you some examples; there are those who think a woman should not darken the doors of a church unless she is wearing a dress, heels and pantyhose. Well, why? It’s hot, and I don’t like pantyhose.

Should a lack of pantyhose disqualify me from participating? I think not. As long as all the important parts are covered, shouldn’t people be free to wear whatever makes them comfortable? After all doesn’t God look at the heart?

I have a heart for foreign missions. I’ve worked in orphanages, malnutrition centers, and schools in China, Haiti, Guatemala, and Kenya. I co-founded Breathe International, a missions organization with offices in Dallas and Kenya, East Africa. Some would judge me for going outside our borders when there are needs at home. To that, I would say, “What are you doing about those needs?”

For my husband and I, living missionally means pastoring a church in Beeville, TX, and actively walking out our daily rhythms in our community. Living inside the lines might dictate only domestic outreaches, but “Living Outside The Lines” says I can go where my heart leads.

Are you curious about living outside the lines? Tempted to dabble there? Hang out a bit? Stick your toes in the water? Wonder what other nuggets I might divulge? If so, don’t miss my bi-weekly columns. If nothing else, they’ll offer a unique perspective, one you may have never considered but just might find intriguing!

Until next time,

Becky J Miller ~ “Warrior Princess”

Becky J Miller is a contributor and is exclusive to SM Corridor News. You can read more of Becky’s columns in Lifestyle.