01 Feb Hand-crafted. Uniquely made.
On my way home tonight I decided that I was going to tell you about my strong feelings about the extreme states we live in. (You like that…I have extreme feelings about how extreme we are!? I know.) I was thinking about how ridiculous it is that we cannot seem to stay balanced…You have your savers & spenders, pursuers & distancers, passive folks & aggressive, lovers & haters (or hatas…take your pick), liberal & conservative, givers & takers. Not only do we have large categories of these extremes but we also like to put these labels on people. It makes us more comfortable with ourselves. It’s as if I know “who” you are (passive, distancer, spender, hater) I can feel better…or further better categorize myself. Isn’t that true? We like labeling people.
But at what cost do we do this?
(Can you tell this isn’t going quite in the direction I imagined?)
Currently in my small group we are reading The Ragamuffin Gospel. If you have not read it, I strongly advise that you jump on Amazon right now and purchase your little self a copy because it is amazing. Done. My point?
God’s love is incredible. God is big and perfect…as is His love. We (meaning myself and everyone) are all Ragamuffins.
A Ragamuffin? Yes.
I babysat this five year old little girl a couple of summers ago and one of our favorite words was…you guessed it: Ragamuffin.
I would show up early one morning looking rather sleepy and not so awake and she would say “Ms. Emily…you’re a Ragamuffin.”
When I showed up and she had refused to brush her hair: Ragamuffin
When I was making her do something she didn’t want to do: Ragamuffin
When she wasn’t listening to what I told her to do: Ragamuffin
When she came in with dirt all over her knees, faces, fingers, elbows, and all articles of clothing: Ragamuffin
When I was not giving her enough attention: Ragamuffin
When I spilled something on my clothes: Ragamuffin
When I tickled her: Ragamuffin
When she chased me around the yard: Ragamuffin
When we played music too loud and sang so loud our throats hurt: Ragamuffin
When I didn’t let her listen to Miley(which–mind you–wasn’t often): Ragamuffin
Are you getting the picture?
Hot mess? Ragamuffin; Life in order? Ragamuffin; Picture Perfect? Ragamuffin
We are all just kids with dirt on our faces and knees and ratty hair.
And we are loved.
I am still grasping the idea that I did nothing (nor will I ever do anything) to deserve the love and grace that have been (and are) lavishly poured upon me. Isn’t that strange? It is hard to simply accept the gift Jesus has given us. Albeit the greatest, most awesome, and most profound gift ever given. But yet a gift…and all we have to do is accept…and share.
Share with the passive, the aggressive, the passive-aggressive, the fighters, the shy, the broken, the poor, the rich, the snobby, the defiant, the unruly, the ungracious, the loud, the outrageous, the confused, the spoiled, the homeless, the righteous, the unrighteous, the unreachable, the introverted, the extroverted, the feelers, the intuitive. Simply share.
(Side note…The place where I go to therapy is in the same building that is an art gallery. Today a new exhibit was up (Rob Simmons Photography…please go check out his photos of Atl.) and it was incredible. Regardless of the fact that the art was beautiful, many photos included shots of the homeless…who are as recognized and loved just as much as me, and you, and Lebron, and Mother Teresa, the Pope, Neil Armstrong…I mean really. This sounds ridiculous that I am lumping all these people into the same sentence…but God doesn’t discriminate. I think we forget that sometimes.)
My sister had a difficult and interesting experience this weekend and her take away was this: Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. Don’t judge a person at face value. Everyone has a story.
It’s a beautiful lesson that we should all remember because as easy as our labels are to handout…they’re too simple for the diversity God has placed on this Earth.
Everyone has a uniquely beautiful and painful story.
Everyone has a lovely soul.
Everyone has a past that has scarred them in ways you will never know.
Everyone is simply trying to survive in this world the best way they know how.
So be gracious. Because God is…more than we could ever know.
KJM
Posted at 04:36h, 01 Februaryyou=marvelous! as a fellow blogger, may i say as eloquently the things i wish to share :)<br /><br />grace-elusive, yet in hand. there's more but i will hold off, because i could go on and on!!
PJZaffos
Posted at 05:44h, 02 FebruaryAh yes, Ragamuffin Gospel one of my top ten books of all time (check my fb "about me").<br /> I love watching you wrestle with and absorb (and blog) these concepts ELW. You are gaining great wisdom and as you begin and continue evolving within it, your very presence will touch others in such a transcendent way. Your spirit will exude a power and grace that comes only from a true