No Explanation needed...

Said the little boy, "Sometimes I drop my spoon."
Said the old man, "I do that too."
The little boy whispered, "I wet my pants."
"I do that too," laughed the little old man.
Said the little boy, "I often cry."
The old man nodded, "So do I."
"But worst of all," said the boy, "it seems
Grown-ups don't pay attention to me."
And he felt the warmth of a wrinkled old hand.
"I know what you mean," said the little old man.

-Shel Silverstein

Blemishes

Let's face it. We all have things in our lives that we would rather not talk about. We mess up, we say things we don't mean, we become selfish in our relationships, we pick our nose, we sing too loud, we purposefully avoid others in order to show our anger... WE ALL DO IT...

Does this mean we are horrible people? Are we just inherently bad? I tend to say no, but maybe that's because I'm Mendy... you know... the overly perky and optimistic individual you just sometimes want to tell to say something completely out of the ordinary and dark.

While I DO tend to look on the bright side of things for pretty much every circumstance I find myself in (an example being when I fractured my nose in high school, I was able to talk to a guy I was afraid to talk to because I liked him. of course, it was about how NASTY my face looked, but hey, I'll take it), I think I'm pretty right on about this one.

What I'm really getting at is this: We tend to believe that love is something that is conditional. "Well, he has to change X and Y before I will ever truly love him, other than that he's great." Is this the right attitude? Sure, there are DEFINITE things that matter to you... but come on... try and meet people where they are. Give them the benefit of the doubt.

I say this while thinking in the back of my mind about all the times I've done that and then as a result, I got taken advantage of, but as with everything... you have to have some common sense on the matter. You can love someone, but not like them. You don't have to invite them over to your house to have a baking party or to watch the big game, but you should treat them with respect.

I tend to think my writings sound like a kindergarten lesson sometimes, but seriously... we obviously missed it the first time. Why else do we go around in our dating relationships and view them as something in which we expect the other person to be perfect and always giving us something without giving back.

Love isn't selfish... its selfLESS.

Nobody is perfect. Love them for who they are- blemishes and all.

Moments

Cherish them.

I hope you never forget to take the time to enjoy life for what it is and be thankful for what you have- life! There are gifts from God all around you... we just don't take the time to sit back and really NOTICE all of them. Here are a few for some examples:

A hug from a dear friend.
Dancing in the car like no one is watching... even if they are... and you're acting like a fool.
Having toilet paper... when you really need it. (trust me... thats a BLESSING)
A simple, yet at the same time, intricate purple daisy sitting on your desk, beaconing you to smell it.
A warm cup of coffee that not only warms your finger tips, but also your inmost parts.
A camera in your hand, the wind in your face, the sun on your back, and a song in you heart.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
All I know is that I encountered God this weekend... in a very real and intimate way. I was alone out in His wonderful gift to us, and while I had no one to share it with for a while, I was still amazed by it all. Sometimes it just takes your breath away, but oh, I love it when that happens.

I challenge you: look for God this week, and seek Him in a real and intimate way. There are many times we overlook blessings from God because we get distracted with homework, an attractive member of the opposite sex, or the other million obligations we have in life. Take the time to notice the little things. You will soon find out that the little things... the little moments... well, in fact, they aren't so little after all.