“Each of us has contact with hundreds of people who never look beyond our surface appearance. We have dealings with hundreds of people who the moment they set eyes on us begin calculating what use we can be to them, what they can get out of us. We meet hundreds of people who take one look at us, make a snap judgment, and then slot us into a category so that they wont have to deal with us as persons. They treat us as something less than we are and if we are in constant association with them, we become less.”“And then someone enters our life who isn’t looking for someone to use, is leisurely enough to find out what is really going on in us, is secure enough not to exploit our weaknesses or attack our strengths, recognizes our inner life and understands the difficulty of living out our inner convictions, confirms what is deepest within us. A friend.”
Eugene H. Peterson “Leap Over a Wall”
This is from a book about a divine nobody, David (of David and Goliath fame).
To me like anything else, all relationships grow and change and ebb and glow. Our souls always recognize the friends God places in our lives.
Peace and Love
Keren
Photo by Darla Winn
6 comments:
At first glance I thought that was a Darla photo - and I was right! I love these words you used: "ebb and glow". In the span of human life, I marvel sometimes at those of us who are here at the same time, in this relatively nanosecond of the ages, and how during this brief existence I have encountered other travelers I love so much. Our souls do recognize the friends that are walking this journey at the same time on this earth. I wonder if we planned to be here together... Lots of beautiful thoughts your post evokes this early Saturday morning, Keren. Thank you.
Thanks Anne
well...ebb and glow was a typo. oo but I like it too. W'ell consider it one of those Holy Spirit things.
Have a great day.
Peace
Keren
Oh yes, and I love Darla's work. This series with the little girlies is wonderful.
and I love the thought that we might have planned our meetings and encounters.
what a great truth. thanks keren for the reminder. brennan manning at soularize really focused on the idea that we look past people in terms of who they truly are. when we do truly look upon others and see and respond the deepest truth of who they are, it often enables others to become aware of this truth for themselves.
Hi Keren,
I have Peterson's book, and it is (IMHO) one of his best. It's so hard to find a friend. Maybe we each have a couple people in our lives at any one time that qualify. Yet, to have a friend we must be one, and that might involve befriending ourselves.
Thanks for the post, and the photo is amazing.
Blessings
thanks keren that you would use my picture in conjunction with one of my favorite authors. i needed to see and hear this at this particular time. it's been a rough couple of months. thank you for your beautiful writings....
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