Reni and I went to a dinner party a few months ago. This party was something different-the guy, a friend and band-mate of Reni’s, said come for dinner and bring someone we don’t know. So, Reni brought me. At dinner, everyone who brought a friend had to talk about who they brought. So, we sat there at this table and I heard about all these cool people. There were circus owners, one person ran an alternative high school, we met a Frisbee World Champion. There were people who traveled extensively or ran marathons or who had moved to another country to live. One person quit his job to start an organic farm. As we listened, I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what Reni could possibly say about me. I couldn’t think of anything, and then it was his turn. To talk about me.
Well, Reni had a lot to say. And he started with, “I am going to say the things about Cheri that she wouldn’t tell you herself.”
When he got done, I was dumbfounded. I was speechless. The way he described me, I was the Dos Equis guy, without the beer and facial hair. He made me sound amazing! He didn’t mention my idiosyncrasies, or moods or unfinished projects. He didn’t even mention my inability to share a glass of milk! He talked about me in such glowing terms, shoot, I wanted to meet me.
“So, Ren, who is this foster mom person who does all that cool stuff?”
The thing is, after he got done talking, I didn’t have to say a thing about him; the way he talked about me said everything. He may have talked about me but what we all heard was his graciousness, his love, his ability to forgive, his faithfulness, and his consistent devotion. The way he saw me, the way he valued me, stunned me. And then it occurred to me: if a man can love me and see me that way, then how much more stunning is the love of God for me? In fact, Ren’s faith has been the underlying theme throughout his life, the basis for many of his decisions, the love and power he draws from as he goes about his day. I guess that when he sees me, he does it with the love of God in his heart. The God who planned every part of me, and every part of Ren, to be exactly who we are and then placed us together, is the God who wants us to see and value all the wonderful qualities he planted in each of us. Neither of us is perfect, but maybe being happy with each other stems from focusing on the good parts, while also accepting the whole person as a creation of God. Even if that means never sharing a glass of milk.
Have you ever had an experience that spoke to you so clearly of your value? Especially at a time when you couldn’t remember it yourself?