I’ve come to realize that acceptance, trust, belonging, and friendship
are, aside from salvation and a relationship with God, the most life giving treasures we could ever have. Like cells in the body are microscopic yet impossible to live
without, a person can die without the apparently insignificant smile that
says, “I like you;” the jokes shared that seem utterly nonsensical but somehow,
invisibly, string your hearts together and let you know that you belong; and
the late night chats where you spill all the secrets you’ve kept closeted away
in the deepest vaults of your heart. These things, that in the moment seem to
be a penny’s worth in value, are the winning lottery ticket in life, the million-dollar
inheritance.
But you know that feeling of panic that seems to swallow you when you
can’t breath, when you're suffocating? I think that’s kind of how it feels when a person is continually rejected, distrusted, and can find no place to belong. It’s like you’re slowly dying. And everyone has experienced that at some point to a greater or lesser degree.
But do you also recall that feeling of utter relief and sheer gratefulness when oxygen fills your lungs like a balloon and you can breath again? That’s what it feels like when someone enjoys spending time with you, so he or she invites you to hang out. That’s what it feels like when you share laughter and tears, secrets and adventures. That’s what it feels like when someone calls you, “friend.”
That’s what it feels like to have life.
God, help me to give life to someone else today.
