"I Cannot Be Who I Am Not. I Can Only Be Who I Am."

i wonder how many of you find this drawing spectacular.

True, it is not one that makes people, including myself, go 'wow' at the first glance. But i wow at the awesome man behind this painting. He uses no paintbrush, no hands - just his nose.

Gille Legacy, the artist, was born in Bathurst, NB, Canada, and was afflicted with cerebral palsy since birth . Thus Gille has no use of his arms or legs.

He writes really heartfelt poems too, typing them with, yes, his nose.

Below is my favourite of his poetry:

Live The Life You Want To Live

Be Yourself.

Care for what you see is yours.

Follow your journey.

Do not stray from your path.

Do not judge others by their mistakes,

but be judged by your own.

Live in the world that God wants you to live in.

Do not turn your hourglass before its time.

Time is too priceless

to let sift away from your hand.

Let others think as they wish.

You are the one who knows what you feel inside.

Do not let imaginary visions of promises

from others desolate your mind

with fairy tales from the Devil's tongue.

Ignore the waves

and let the sails ride free with the wind.

---from "An Island In One's Heart"copyright Gille Legacy 1991/1994

It truly tied in with Gille's motton on his website: I Cannot Be Who I Am Not. I Can Only Be Who I Am.

i shed a little tear at the marvellous strength and resilience God has granted this man whom the world could have proclaimed u s e l e s s. i praise God because He has a purpose for every person; no man is an accident or is redundant. Only man can give up on himself.

Looking at the shots of Gille and his color-stained nose, i saw that his face exudes a joy and hope that many so-called normal people lack.

Corrinne May wrote in her blog about her meeting Gille: "I believe He (God) must have had a hand in leading me to behold His face in Gille...and what a lovely face he has".

* * *

+ Are you always struggling with being who you really are?

+ Or trying too hard to be who you are not?

Let me encourage each of you that you really do not have to be who you are not. Everyone of you is created as an unique individual. 'God created your inmost being; knit you together in your mother's womb. You are wonderfully and fearfully made' (Psalm 139:13-14). Each of you is already so beautiful cos' you are 'made in God's likeness' (James 3:9b)! Thus i believe too, that if all our faces are pieced together, we truly reflect the full glory and beauty of God's face. *say wahh...*

Yes, just like what Gille wrote in his poem... Be yourself, and the best of yourself! =) Nobody should expect us to be like any other. i was very heartbroken when one of my girls chose to think that i was always disappointed in her. Whether she made it in her studies or not, i had told her 'it's okay, dear, keep on putting in efforts. i believe in you, and i love you'. I am always proud of her. When she improved in her studies, i rejoiced so much in my heart at the Lord's work in her life. Maybe she thinks i only care for or am proud of her when she becomes a top scholar or a G12 leader. That is how the world defines success. Every even tiny step of faith she took, i saw, and i knew she tried. And if that was the best that she could do now, it was enough, and perfect.

(Dear, please don't struggle alone. If you don't tell me or let me in, i cannot help you. But like what i always told you, i am here for you.)

* * *

Many paint with hands. But God has made Gille excel in the same art and skill using his nose.

Who says we have to follow the world?


(i suspect it's no coincidence that i read this quote from songwriter Liang Wen Fu in his article tonight - "We are so used to the norms of majority in society. A right hand is a right hand, but it doesn't mean that the left hand is a wrong hand". Agree.)