Just as you are

This year, for my birthday present from the great state of Texas, I had to go to the DPS and get my license renewed in person. Oh yes, they blocked me out of the online renewal program and made me journey all the way down to the place of lines that never move.

On my way there I promised myself I was going to be joyful and not complain. Because clearly, I am super spiritual and all, so this would be a piece of cake....

After thirty minutes in a line that was not moving, my tolerance level was in great jeopardy. The joy was less than "full" and complaining was about to spew out.

When I was distracted by the irritating sound of laughter.

(I told you I hadn't moved in thirty minutes, right?!)

As I looked over at this three or four year old who was laughing my first, super spiritual thought was, "Where are her parents? Do they think they can just wonder off and leave their child to be making all this noise in the middle of the DPS?"

And somehow, from Someone greater than I, my eyes began to see something different.

This little girl, she loved life.

And she loved it to the fullest.

Her laughter had come when another child about the same age came walking through the door. Excitement oozed through her very being at the arrival of someone to play with her.

For the next fifteen minutes or so I just studied them. The way that they could communicate so clearly without ever saying a word. Just making funny faces at each other was high amusement, jumping, spinning, copying each other's tricks, ducking underneath the ropes marking off the lines (which were clearly put there simply for their game of weaving under and through them) these were all icing on the cake.

They smiled the entire time they were together.

There was much laughter, and much noise.

Then, it was time for the little girl to leave (you know, the one whose laughter had irritated me, that one...) and she turned to her playmate and said the only words that were ever spoken between the two of them,

"Bye, friend."

I was so moved. I searched frantically in my purse for something to write on to jot down something to make me remember this encounter. And on a scrap of paper I simply wrote those two words, "Bye, friend."

There is so much about this story that God has used to do some reconstruction on my heart. The obvious lack of joy and patience to be coupled with a tendency to complain the second things don't happen on my time frame are just a couple.

But today, whispering in my heart was the phrase, "just as you are."

In my head, and maybe even in my heart I believe that Jesus loves me just as I am. It is a piece of truth I cling to tightly.

I guess my question is why don't I love others the same way I know He loves me?

Why am I not so eager to talk, laugh, spend time with, and give to those I meet 'just as they are'?

I feel as though God is calling me to join Him in a maturing process He has probably been working on for a long time.... I am just now hearing the message.

What would my world look like if I gave of myself freely to those who cross my path, without condition, without hesitation, and without reservation?

Perhaps, just perhaps, my love for them 'just as they are' would lead them to the foot of the Cross believing that the Creator of the universe loves them 'just as they are'.

Perhaps.