Looks can be deceiving. Pictures can be deceiving. Smiles can be deceiving. This picture was sent to me this week from an old friend of mine. It was taken at the end of July of 2004. About 5 months before I was pregnant with my daughter, and about 1 year before I began attending the WONDERFUL church that I attend.
The thing about this picture is that it doesn't show reality. It doesn't show what's inside. In fact to me, if I didn't know better, I think I look generally pretty happy. But nothing could be further from the truth. I won't go into the gory details of what all kinds of atrocities were going on in my life at the time of this picture. Those things are forgiven and buried. But what I will tell you is that no matter what the picture shows, this woman was dead. She was depressed, broken, used, hollow, hurting, and self-destructing. She cried herself to sleep most nights. She questioned why she even continued waking up each day. She was in emotional and mental turmoil, abuse, and anguish every single day. She was always surrounded by many many "friends" but was excrutiatingly lonely. And those "friends"....weren't her friends at all. (With the exception of only ONE--the one who sent his picture.)
Looking at her makes me sad...but also makes me hopeful. You see it makes me sad that I walked SO long in those shoes. It makes me sad because I know there is a world FULL of people like her, who smile, and put on a really good act, when inside they are dying a painful slow death. But it makes me hopeful because I emerged out of it because of wonderful Chrsitian people in my life who refused to give up on me. They prayed for me. They loved me. They invited me to their church. They listened to me. They let me cry on their shoulders. They pointed me back to God. There is hope for ALL!
When you run across people in your lives, whether it is a stanger, a co-worker, a neighbor, or a long-time friend...look deep. Look deeper than the surface. If you see a smile like this one...realize that sometimes it is only a facade. It requires time and investment in people...a genuine interest and concern for God's children to really SEE. It takes effort. But I am so thankful for those in my life at that time...who went the extra mile...who didn't just see the smile and assume that all was well. If it weren't for them (my family and friends) showing me the heart of Christ every chance they got...I would not be alive today. I wouldn't. That is no exaggeration at all. There would be no Carlotta or Gracyn. But instead we are both here... THRIVING and living in God's blessing and deep love every day and doing our best to shower it on every one else...
Look at this picture and realize that it is a fake...the person looks alive but was very much a DEAD woman. Remember that when you go through your day and your life crosses with others to look DEEP. You could save a life. You could point someone's soul to Christ. You never know where someone is in their life and what they so desperately need from you...even if they smile and all looks well. Show them CHRIST. There is hope for all!!!
2 comments:
Yes, pictures can be deceiving. You certainly do "look" to be happy in this picture.
I thank God for the Christian family and friends that were in your life at that time. I thank those individuals (and I do know some of them) for not giving up on you. For if they had given up, I would have never been so blessed to have you and Gracyn in my life. I cannot imagine not having you as one of my closest friends or not being Gracyn's Uncle Jeff :)
FINE! I HATE that response from people I love, when I ask how are you doing, and when this picture was taken, FINE was your answer almost all the time. It was a lie! And I accepted it, I didn't probe deeper, I didn't say, really, how are you, make me believe you are FINE. Shame, shame on me. I know why you said it, because you did not want me to know the ugly truth, what I question, is WHY I accepted it, when there were signs that it was not the truth. But God brought us through the valley and now we have a great Carlotta, and praise God, a great Gracyn, a great Uncle Jeff, and much, much, more!
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