Welcome Inside My Head Part 2

The other side of what I've been mulling is this: How is it even possible to not relate on a superficial level when people are constantly sizing people up based solely on what they can see with their eyes? Example: Apparently I regularly wear an expression on my face that "says" all manner of off putting things to people like "Leave me alone" or "I'm mad". My face lies. There is SO MUCH MORE to me than the expression I wear on my face. I don't think many are willing to get over it. I say that because not many have. They make their judgments and move on. Superficial. Apparently that's just how the world works.

My Pastor Guy at church is doing a sermon series on "Being the Best Version of You" or something like that. I'm of the opinion that the best parts of me come from the "depths" of me that I referred to before. I'm sad that I don't operate from that place daily. I stay in the "shallows" because I perceive that it's safe there.  Have you heard that Casting Crowns song "Somewhere In The Middle"? It's also a good example of how I feel about this subject. Some of my favorite lines from the song: "Somewhere between the hot and the cold, somewhere between the new and the old, somewhere between who I am and who You're making me, Somewhere in the middle you'll find me. Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control? Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense, deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle."  I believe we get caught because we believe the lies others tell and we judge ourselves based on their bias.

Why do I let fear and judgment and how the world prefers to communicate keep me from operating from the depths?

AND.. why do we see this and discount the person inside. :

This is the picture I saw that I think makes my point. I happen to know this person. She doesn't really look like this. It's part of a character she plays. I've seen the character once in person and now in this picture. The first time I ever saw the character I knew it was her and I was still disturbed. I continue to be struck with the notion that what is seen is unattractive but there's a depth behind what's seen. She is an amazing person. If you didn't take time to get past the image you see here, you'd never know how awesome she is.

Here comes my end point. Thank you for hanging in and hearing me out. :)

Daily I operate as if I look like the above person. I discount my own self. I believe that people see me and discount me. I buy the notion that people can't be trusted and that they don't care. I hang out in the shallows. What a loss.

One of my Facebook friends posted a quote in their status sometime in the past couple of weeks. I don't remember who said it. The quote was something like "The work of the Lord runs on the rails of relationships." It was an awesome quote. I tried to find that status again and I can't. I include that because it's true. The best parts of us live in the depths that we don't always share. I think I would do better for the kingdom if I would create and maintain relationships that aren't stunted by fear and judgment.

If I had a magic wand.... I'd wave it about dramatically and remove the wall of "isms" that hinders me and others from engaging the world the way that God would have us engage the world. We would all operate from the "depths" where the best in each of us resides.