What Are You Seeing?

I have a tiny three legged dog, named Dolly. She is seven pounds and was the runt of the litter that the breeders were planning on destroying. This tiny white fluffy pup has no obvious awareness of her limitations. She runs, balancing her body by partly hopping on one back foot and the one front foot. She may occasionally misstep or fall, but it’s nearly imperceptible to her. She can run up stairs, but waits atop of stairs in a stance expectant of someone lifting her, to take her down the stairs. Her bark is loud and clear when she tries to demand something, sounding as present as the large dogs nearby. And she continues to assume, by pawing us, that everyone would love to have her in their laps. People passing by look at her, and occasionally with an exaggerated sympathetic face, sharing their compassionate pity with us. It is wasted. She is a joy, a gift from God, and a beauty. How much does this mirror how God views us? We see our own limitations. And despite doing our best to be confident and press on, a sense of inadequacy may hover internally. Others may see us as one to be pitied. Or we may be putting our own worth at a lower level than others. What would happen if we adopted Dolly’s view of ourselves, and just rebalanced to make what we have work; expect the best; assume others will value us; and avoid internalizing what others see through their limited lenses? More importantly, we may want to consider how God sees us. He is not focused on our mistakes, our limited physical abilities, emotional or mental issues we strain against, how insignificant we seem, how inept we might feel at making friendships, or how we cannot accomplish what might be otherwise expected by others. He knows all of this but from a different view. He sees His perfect creation, that the world cannot destroy. He sees how our challenges will grow a heart of love, a mind of wisdom, and a spirit yielded to Him. He delights in the unique personality and resilience we bring in to this fallen world that he is redeeming. I cannot help but want to scoop up Dolly and carry her, even when she is groaning or not pleasant. God wants to lift us up today and show us how to run with three legs, and fill the space with our presence; even when we are the smallest voice in the room. He wants us to do it for His glory and His joy. And there is no limitation that can overshadow His love.