I spent some time today with a man who was told some less than nice things about himself for many years of his life. If you’ve watched Pretty Woman, you may remember the line, “the bad stuff is easier to believe”. Julia Roberts’ character says that when she talks about the things people have said about her. And some times that is true.
The man that I spoke with today believed some of what people had said. He didn’t come right out and say that. But, the way he referenced himself said it all. This is a good man. In his 70+ years on this Earth, he’s made some mistakes – some big and some small.
I wonder what would happen if we stopped believing the bad stuff?
One of my favorite shows is Veggie Tale’s A Snoodle’s Tale. My kiddo even named one of our cats Snoodle. The snoodle in the story is upset and feels bad about himself because of what everyone says about him. But we meets his creator, the creator’s heart is sad that the boy feels so bad about himself. The creator showed the boy how he truly was – how the creator saw him; and it changed the boy. What if we started to believe that the one who loves us the most, more than we could ever possibly imagine; sees the good in us – even when we can’t see it. What if we started to believe the good stuff? Think of how blessed and freeing that would be!
Tonight I am thankful for the chance to point out to this man today that I knew him to be a good man. I hope he believes me. I know he has a past. Who doesn’t? He has a good heart, and that matters more than what he did 50 years ago.
Momma's Silver Lining 