The Knowing ~ Part One
"Hey, do you know Jane?" someone asks you.
"Yes. I know her, " you reply.
"How do you know her?"
"She lives next door."
"You know that guy over there?" Your friend nudges you in the arm.
"Yeah, I know him." You glance at the man across the room and recognize him from church.
"You know that girl I was telling you about?" the message on Facebook questions.
Typing quickly, you respond, "Oh, yeah. Her. You're right - she is always walking around grumpy."
We say we know someone. What does that mean, really? We know their name. We know where they live. We know them to stop in the grocery store and chat with them. We comment and we like comments on Facebook.
But how do we truly know?
Knowing someone is listening. It's praying for them. It's having compassion for them, even when you don't know their story.
Because we don't always know their story. But we've all got one.
That neighbour? Do you know that she has cancer? Do you know how much discomfort she is in? Do you know what anguish she feels? Do you know that she is alone and has no one to hug her?
That man from church? Do you know the battle he fights against? Do you know that he grew up without a loving father therefore doesn't know how to love his own kids? Do you know that he is more angry at himself than he is at his children when they frustrate him? Do you know he beats himself up over the fact that he feels inadequate?
That girl in the Facebook message? Do you know that she has a horrible self image? Do you know that she feels trapped in negative thinking, but deeply wants freedom? Do you know that she loves little children and they love her too?
Knowing.
To know someone is to notice them.
To know someone is to appreciate them.
To know someone is to be willing to hear their story; to love them despite their story.
To know someone is to recognize them as a fellow human just trying to live life.
We need to go beyond the pleasantries with people.
We need to go beyond the acquaintance, and delve into the deeper knowing.
Even if we don't relate. Even if we don't understand.
And the judgements need to stop. It is a snare we so often fall into. Baited by what we see on the outside, we decide what a person is really like.
This is a lesson for me as well.
We all get too comfortable in our safe place built of walls that keep deep relationships from penetrating.
But what if?
What if someone cared enough to know what's going on with you, yet still wants to support you?
What if someone loved enough to know what you've been through, yet still wants to be your friend?
What if someone thought enough to know how you struggle, yet speaks encouragement into your life?
What if, despite how grumpy, selfish, unloving or unfriendly you are, someone just prays for you?
Because regardless of relationship, you can always pray for someone. Even when they don't know you are.
Maybe, knowing is just loving.
When there is love, there is all that other good stuff.
Compassion. Friendship. Concern. Prayer.
The beauty of the loving is that true love comes from God. He is the author of love. He wrote the love story and still allows us to be in a chapter or two.
So how do we know people?
We love them.
How do we love them?
We know God's love.
How do we know God's love?
We know Him.
How do we know Him?
Well, getting to really know Him deeply is my mission ... and maybe it should be yours too.
"Yes. I know her, " you reply.
"How do you know her?"
"She lives next door."
"You know that guy over there?" Your friend nudges you in the arm.
"Yeah, I know him." You glance at the man across the room and recognize him from church.
"You know that girl I was telling you about?" the message on Facebook questions.
Typing quickly, you respond, "Oh, yeah. Her. You're right - she is always walking around grumpy."
We say we know someone. What does that mean, really? We know their name. We know where they live. We know them to stop in the grocery store and chat with them. We comment and we like comments on Facebook.
But how do we truly know?
Knowing someone is listening. It's praying for them. It's having compassion for them, even when you don't know their story.
Because we don't always know their story. But we've all got one.
That neighbour? Do you know that she has cancer? Do you know how much discomfort she is in? Do you know what anguish she feels? Do you know that she is alone and has no one to hug her?
That man from church? Do you know the battle he fights against? Do you know that he grew up without a loving father therefore doesn't know how to love his own kids? Do you know that he is more angry at himself than he is at his children when they frustrate him? Do you know he beats himself up over the fact that he feels inadequate?
That girl in the Facebook message? Do you know that she has a horrible self image? Do you know that she feels trapped in negative thinking, but deeply wants freedom? Do you know that she loves little children and they love her too?
Knowing.
To know someone is to notice them.
To know someone is to appreciate them.
To know someone is to be willing to hear their story; to love them despite their story.
To know someone is to recognize them as a fellow human just trying to live life.
We need to go beyond the pleasantries with people.
We need to go beyond the acquaintance, and delve into the deeper knowing.
Even if we don't relate. Even if we don't understand.
And the judgements need to stop. It is a snare we so often fall into. Baited by what we see on the outside, we decide what a person is really like.
This is a lesson for me as well.
We all get too comfortable in our safe place built of walls that keep deep relationships from penetrating.
But what if?
What if someone cared enough to know what's going on with you, yet still wants to support you?
What if someone loved enough to know what you've been through, yet still wants to be your friend?
What if someone thought enough to know how you struggle, yet speaks encouragement into your life?
What if, despite how grumpy, selfish, unloving or unfriendly you are, someone just prays for you?
Because regardless of relationship, you can always pray for someone. Even when they don't know you are.
Maybe, knowing is just loving.
When there is love, there is all that other good stuff.
Compassion. Friendship. Concern. Prayer.
The beauty of the loving is that true love comes from God. He is the author of love. He wrote the love story and still allows us to be in a chapter or two.
So how do we know people?
We love them.
How do we love them?
We know God's love.
How do we know God's love?
We know Him.
How do we know Him?
Well, getting to really know Him deeply is my mission ... and maybe it should be yours too.
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