What Do You Say?

This year my family decided to take a special vacation. After much debate, we chose to visit Paris, France and Rome, Italy. With so many busy schedules, it was tough to coordinate, but here we are!

Our trip began with the beautiful Eiffel Tower. We stood in amazement as we each tried to take in the view. We looked at it from the hotel, up close, from the bottom, and from our individual heights. Regardless of perspective, we all smiled. After a fun bus tour of the city, we returned to Palais Garnier, the Opera House and setting for the novel The Phantom of the Opera. While the building structure was nice, it was no indication of what awaited us inside. When we walked in, we marveled at the gold paneled walls, intricately detailed statues, and stunning architecture. Our cameras were never far from our hands, trying to capture the history of the theatre built from 1861-1875. We recorded our delight in short videos, but at the end of the day, we all came to one conclusion. Pictures cannot do Palais Garnier justice. Though our phones are up to date and full of great features, they are no match for the power of our eyes.

Naturally, this got us talking and got me thinking. We often try to capture the essence of a person based on our perspective, our lighting, and our capabilities. Sometimes, we get others excited by our excitement or disappointed by our disappointment. Whether we think it’s fair or not, isn’t really the problem. The problem is that sometimes we cannot do a person justice. We can’t always appreciate the multi-faceted complexities of each other and therefore, skew the opinions of others.

I started thinking about all of the times when people tried to kill my character, influence, and existence among others. I also began to think of the times when my best friend raved over a book, and when I read it for myself, it was even better than she said. In fact, I loved it more beccause I read it for myself. I created my own impressions of the characters and came to my own conclusion of the story and writer.

By now, you probably know where I’m headed. You guessed it. Before you profile a person, walk away from a great opportunity, or take my word for anything, be open. Be open to the possibilities that others may not see. Be open to learning what others did not learn. Be open to the beauty that lies beneath the surface. You may find that the experience of others is not your experience. It’s possible that inside that seemingly ordinary shelter, God has sculpted an intricately detailed blessing.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Ephesians 3:20

Strengthen. Heal. Empower.

Featured Eiffel Tower Picture by Reto Morgenthaler