They see a picture of success.
They see a picture of failure.
They see a picture of power.
They see a picture of weakness.
The picture they see is often the picture they want to believe–they choose to believe. And the reality is, that the one picture they see, is never the sum reality of who you are. And often times, it’s not the only picture they’ve seen, but it’s the one they choose to perpetually attach to you.
Pictures can’t tell the whole story. They only represent a moment in time. They represent a season in your life, not your life.
Some people will only perceive you to be the picture–be it good or bad. They choose to see a picture of you that agrees with the specific narrative they keep rehearsing in their minds. They won’t change the narrative even when they see a different picture of you.
That picture can’t sincerely represent the fullness of who you are because it’s only a framed shot of a moving you. Even if the initial picture was legitimate, it’s still not necessarily a sold representation of who you are–and more importantly, who you’ve become and are becoming. People change. People grow. People digress.
What if we only chose to see the picture of Jesus on the cross, but couldn’t see Him sitting at the right hand of God? We’d fail to embrace the power of Who He is. Our relationship with Him wouldn’t even be the same. The picture of Jesus on the cross is not the sum total of Who He is.
If we embraced Jesus’ story, and not just a picture of Him, we’d realize that the picture doesn’t represent the full story of Who He is. Him on the cross, represents a picture of brokenness, weakness, sacrifice and sorrow. Jesus wasn’t a monument on that cross. He didn’t stay there. He was moving. He was transitioning to everlasting strength, power and authority on that cross.
Consider your own story. Consider where you are. It’s not who you are or the fullness of your life. You’re in transition. Where you are is not where you’re meant to stay. And that truth can go in either direction.
This should humble some of us and encourage others. Being in a high place or a low place can shift at any moment. Just because you’re high, doesn’t mean you’ve done everything right. And just because you’re low and struggling doesn’t mean that you’ve done everything wrong and are failing.
Things could change. You can change.
We must learn to grace ourselves. But we must also learn to grace others. Jesus didn’t have to consider our story. He could have only taken that picture. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus saw us beyond the picture He saw of us. Bless God!
At times, it’s easier receiving grace than it is giving it. It’s easier to want others to see the best in us, even when we won’t see the best in others. We want others to forget our past. We want people to understand where we’ve come from and what we’ve been through. We want people to give us the benefit of the doubt. We want people to read our story and not just see the picture.
Are we seeing the best in others? Are we forgetting people’s past? Are we trying to understand where they came from and what they’ve been through? Are we giving them the benefit of the doubt? Are we trying to read their story or are we only seeing their picture?
What bridges the gap between the picture and the story? How can I get over what I see/saw, in order to hear the story and embrace the person?
“Love”
–Jesus
*Tressa Jo
BeyondSeeLevel 