Becoming Real

Last night as I snuggled my daughter and read her a story, I realized my talent of being able to read a book, and think about other things as I read. I don't do this often, because I do enjoy my story times every night, but last night my mind seemed busy.

The words on the pages were being processed and repeated out of my lips, but my brain jumped from topic to topic, unbeknownst to my daughter.

The story was The Velveteen Rabbit.
A few of the paragraphs stood out to me.....

Rabbit: "What is Real?...."Does it hurt?"

 

Skin Horse: "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt"

 

Rabbit: "Does it happen all at once, like being wound up, or bit by bit?"

 

Skin Horse: "It doesn't happen all at once....you become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, have sharp edges or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because when you are Real you can't be ugly, except to the people who don't understand.....Once you become Real, you can't become unreal."

 

...."the Rabbit sighed. He longed to become Real, to know what it felt like; and yet the idea of growing shabby and losing his eyes and whiskers was rather sad. He wished he could become it without these uncomfortable things happenings to him."

Sometimes uncomfortable things happen to us.
Sometimes we have sharp edges, or put a guard up, afraid we may break easily.

Maybe someone has betrayed our trust, and we are having to learn to trust again.

Maybe a devastating event has happened, and we need our friends and family around us to love us where we are, and love us into reality.

Just remember to love. Love them even if it is uncomfortable, or even if it is from afar.

Right now there is a whole East side of our country in pain. Mothers whose children were swept away, homes that were a labor of love and filled with family memories. Its easy for me to sit in my 80-90 degree Arizona weather sipping my iced tea, and say "That is over there, and I am over here.". I pray daily for them, and also for me, that I can have compassion and be daring enough to love even those I do not know.

First God loved us, so we can love others too.

Don't be afraid to let people get close and make your rough edges smooth.
The rubbing off of fur, and loss of our whiskers will reveal the real heart underneath.