Oh my friends and fellow travelers in life, if only you could see yourselves with the optimism I do when I gaze into your eyes or talk to you. My heart beams with gladness to simply know you and what unique qualities each of you brings to this sprawling world. God loves you and cares for you so much: I only hope I can help him show you his affection for you.
I once wrote this in email to someone, explaining how I feel about people:
"When you look at an intricate figurine, you notice all the minute details about it, and it's those small embellishments that make a porcelain or glass figure precious. That's how I appreciate people: my shelves are full of beautiful manikins that give me joy by their God-given uniqueness. They don't have to dance or perform, they just have to be themselves. Furthermore, I realize how fragile they are--how fragile people are--and I take great pains to care for them because of it.”
If anything, my life has taught me how capable the human mind is of lying to and tearing itself apart; when I see a dark face, I fear the worst and see it as my God-given duty to lift that person up, if only for a moment. I'll admit though, sometimes I get tired of making it my personal calling to cheer everyone up, of walking from a conversation where I've made people laugh and hugged them only to tread back into my room and feel the sunshine creep away from my face.
I love deeply, but I need someone else to love, because it is so hard for me to really love myself. So you see, when I comfort you with encouragement or praise, I am merely reflecting your light--the beauty God has put in you--back to you. Let the God in me love the God in you.
Thank you for sharing this, Rachel. It's beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteI love you.
ReplyDelete*thumbs up*
ReplyDeleteYou are such a delight to be around. Even just a glimpse of you makes me smile. I hope that someday you will learn to love the God in yourself the way you love the God in others.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rachel =)
ReplyDelete