Recently my husband and I were shopping at a local emporium where we enjoy wandering the aisles looking at the random collection of things. Most of the items are old yet still function fulfilling their original purpose. Sure there are some imperfections, minor cracks, and evidence of wear, but that really just adds to the beauty of each piece.
As I am sitting here, I think of the attraction I have for such items, and it dawns on me that it is the story of each piece that draws me in. My imagination goes to the generations of people that used each piece and the milestones and memories that prompted their delicate handling.
If you are a collector of anything, you know the number of hours it can take to organize your collection. Special display cases are purchased to ensure value is not lost and rooms are completely redone to showcase the investment. It can take hours that we don’t hesitate in spending sifting, sorting, and caring for our valued possessions.
Then I thought, what would happen to us if we showed the same amount of care to ourselves and others as we do with our “treasured” items? What would we look like, who would we be? Individually, who would you be if you loved yourself and cared for yourself as much as you love and care for your things? Collectively, what kind of world would this be if we treated each other with the same amount of attention and care? Would we see the beauty in each other through imperfections, minor cracks, and evidence of wear? I would hope so.
You see, I am terrible at self-care. I love caring for others and meeting the needs of those around me. But if you were to ask me how much time I spent caring for myself, the answer would border on zero, zilch, nada.
Maybe that is where God is leading. Leading me to realize that even though it is a challenge I face, learning to care for myself will equip me to care more fully for everyone else. Learning to be okay with my own cracks and imperfections allows me to see the beauty in the imperfections of others. Our evidence of wear makes up our story, and our story makes up the amazing people that we are today.
I encourage you to take time for yourself, you are worth the investment. Yep, I am also talking to myself. Lol
God Bless!
