"Mm-Aah," went the little green frog one day
"Mm-Ah," went the little green frog
"Mm-Ah," went the little green from one day
And the frog went, "Mm-mm Ah."
But we all know frogs go,
"La-dee-da-dee-da, la-dee-da-dee-da, la-dee-da-dee-da!"
We all know frogs go, "La-dee-da-dee-da."
They don't go, "Mm, mm-ah!"
This song tickles me every time. I always just imagine a frog hopping amongst the lilypads saying, "La-dee-da-dee-da!" And of course we all know that is what frogs say! Of course.
But it actually made me think of deeper things. Whoever decided it was a given that frogs say "La-dee-da-dee-da," apparently never encountered frogs making sounds. Either that, or that person's perceptions were seriously deranged. Or they had ulterior motives for saying such a thing about frogs. Yet, while this song is silly, there's truth in gest. People put labels on others, and they try to sell it as a given. It can be companies selling clothes/houses/whatever, and saying, "You need this, because if you don't have it, there's something not right about you." Like the Life cereal commercials that said, "Unless they're weird, your kids will eat it."
Some brush it off and say, "That's capitalism for you!" But that's not the whole truth. Whether intentionally or not, it's actually a company's telling people who they are supposed to be. This creates a superimposing of an identity that doesn't even exist! Think about this for a minute. In what alternate reality is it dignifying to have gym shorts with words written on your butt? Or, why is it alright to tell men what all women want them to be? How can you determine that for everyone?
Without even realizing it, we are taking in messages not about products, but about who we are! We are hearing, "I am all about being sexy," says Ideal Woman. "I should be as close to a white, tall, blonde size 2 person as possible and should therefore straighten, dye, and dress accordingly," says Ideal Woman. The problem is that Ideal Woman does not say la-dee-da-dee-da.
She actually says lots of different things. She says, "I am a lovely red-head with amazing curls," and "I have beautiful chocolate-toned skin and richly thick hair." She also says, "I have blond hair and a size 2 frame." She also says, "I am compassionate, a good listener, and an insightful individual," or, "I love journalism as a way of bringing people's stories to life and helping them share themselves with others." And in some habitats, you may even find her saying, "I am funny, outspoken, and I love watching Ghost Busters while eating banana and bacon sandwiches." Don't knock it until you try it. :)
But to know who you are means choosing God's voice in your life over others' voices. If you try to accomplish this by surrounding yourself with people who are like you, you will never fully be yourself. We are all unique, and you will inevitably have a trait that someone doesn't like, so you will stifle it. You will also miss out on the important and beautiful traits in people who are not like you. Full freedom to be 100% you ONLY comes from God. And walking in it won't be easy. He needs your undivided attention. People will resist you because you don't fit their stereotypes, and many won't like that their judgment of you is not important to you. But God is bigger than people's resistance against you. Ask Him (just talk to Him as you would a friend), and He will break the power of others' ridicule over you. Keep choosing His opinion of you over theirs by being yourself even when it's hard. You will soon find that who you are will flourish richly (you may even get to know more about yourself than you did before!), and your life will help others to be free as well! You'll help those who are not like you to see things in a new light, too! JOY!
So let's stop being told what we say by those who don't know us. Your Creator knows your every nuance better than you or anyone else, and He has a message for you:
You don't go, "Mm-mm-ah." Or "la-dee-da-dee-da."
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